


Renascence

by Von_Helheim



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Other, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28157319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Von_Helheim/pseuds/Von_Helheim
Summary: The woman gave him a funny look, obviously amused that this was what she was flagged down for. “That musta been quite the shipwreck to need the date, kid.” Law gave the woman a sour look, which she rolled her eyes at. Kids these days were so demanding.“August 16th, 1491.”Law had never felt so close to tossing himself into the sea as this moment.
Relationships: Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Donquixote Doflamingo & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Trafalgar D. Water Law & Original Character(s)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12.18.2020

Law wanted to say his life calmed after the events of Wano. He wanted to say that marines began to take notice of him as a force to respect, and that Pirates and bounty hunters began to actively avoid him at any possible moment, leaving him and his crew to their peaceful drifting through the New World after they parted ways with their allies. He wanted to say that he was surprised when they were actively sought out and attacked by bounty hunters. Law really wanted to say he didn’t expect it, not at all. 

But that would be like admitting the Surgeon of Death was a man of little intelligence, and if Law was certain of at least one trait he held, it was his keen mind. 

So, when his ship had breached near the Isle of Newick in the New World, an unclaimed territory that was notorious for being pirate friendly, Law was not surprised in the least when his yellow submarine was met with cannon fire and battle cries. In fact, he was very well expecting it. 

The battle that ensued was relatively short, all things considered. Canons were fired in the direction of the metal vessel, and were quickly switched and sliced midair. The submarine maneuvered around the sandbar and closer to the attacking ships, giving access to Law in order for him to use his Devil fruit to launch the ships at one another. A lucky vessel, which got close enough to board the deck of the Heart Pirates pride and joy, was dismantled and reassembled in shambles while his crew fought gleefully against the bounty hunters who were determined to try their luck for a half a billion beli payment. All in all, it wasn’t a challenge. After fighting a Yonko crew, undergoing torture and battles that exhausted his crew and him to the point of near death, these upstarts looking for a quick pay day were easily beaten into the ocean. 

But Law had been on these seas for long enough to know that nothing was ever easy on the Grand Line, especially not in the seas of the New World. 

Law blocked an attack coming his way with a well aimed slice of Kikoku, covering Penguin as the man placed a well aimed kick into the jaw of a grunt who made it onboard. He had to give it to these hunters, they at least had numbers and a decent handling of Haki. Law spread out his room, enveloping his ship and part of the next, before swinging his sword in a horizontal pattern at a group of hired hit men. Torso’s and heads were severed and slew across the deck as bodies began to drop uselessly, either overboard or on the ground. Law had to hand it to these hunters, they were persistent and numerous, challenging his weaker crew members and putting up a struggle against his more experienced Nakama. 

From the wave of dismembered bodies, two women and an older gentleman stepped forward, engaging in the fight with Sachi and Bepo. His oldest crew members were struggling, something Law noted from his vantage point near the front of their large ship. His fingers twirled and flexed, switching him and an unsuspecting grunt before his blade clashed with one of the women’s. She was good, better than the rest of the garbage trying to overtake his crew. Law figured this was one of the heads of this little operation. 

“The infamous Trafalgar Law, finally taking the stage! We have been waiting for you,” the woman spoke, their blades dancing against each other. From the corner of his eye, Law could see Bepo struggling against the duel blades of the other woman fighter, while Penguin joined Sachi in double teaming the older man. He needed to move fast, he wasn’t sure how long his oldest members could hold against what seemed to be the executives of this bounty hunting group. Law let a smirk slowly enter his face, exuding easy confidence as he pressed back against her attack. 

“With how many ships you brought, I wouldn’t say you have that much confidence in your own men,” Law spoke with an air of nonchalance, readying his Haki for attack, “that seems to be the difference between you and I”. 

Law dodged to the side, narrowly missing a blow from the other woman who had briefly escaped the mink. He rolled, readying his weapon and expanding his room, slicing to the side as he aimed for the arm of his attacker. Unfortunately, the woman dodged, Bepo coming up right behind her as she did readying his fist for a quick finish. Law’s own opponent seized the moment, using what seemed to be Law’s distraction to her advantage to swipe towards him with aggression. Law easily deflected, going on the defensive as the woman’s blows began to reach him quickly and efficiently. Expanding his room to fit his opponent as they clashed blades yet again, Law moved Kikoku to slide underneath the woman, moving her own weapon out from its intended target. 

His hand was brought to her chest, quick and ruthless, and as sudden as a blink, he has her heart. The woman startles, falling to the floor in a lump as the shock of losing such an important organ so clinically vegans to sink in. With an angry growl, the woman tries to stand, only for Law to squeeze his newly acquired prize. 

The woman who was fighting Bepo startled from her own fight, as did the man fighting his two men. They were startled, losing interest in their own battles, letting their concentration flicker for just enough time to allow for his crew to finish the job. The man was slammed to the deck, effectively pinned underneath Sachi as Penguin took the time to silently snap his leg, immobilizing him. The woman Bepo was fighting was not as easily handled though, taking a harsh chop to the size, only to scream out at her companions. 

“FRANK! ALICE!” 

The woman screamed at them, running from her fight straight for Law. The supernova heard the man’s, Franks, worried shout of “ _Nova!_ ” reaching his ears as the woman sprinted for Law, her dagger raised as if to pierce him. Law felt himself expand his room, his blade raised in one hand with a heart in the other. 

He swung, and the woman who rushed at him with such fever was cut in two. 

“NOVA!”

“GENOVA!”

Law stared clinically down at the bounty Hunter, the shouts of Frank and his opponent, Alice, were behind him. In the background, Law noticed the rest of the crew cleaning up the rest of the cannon fodder, while the one ship left retreated to safe waters. His crew cleared, clearly relieved to be out of the fight and into the victory. Law felt himself give a bemused smile at their antics, ignoring his captured opponents in favor of surveying his Nakama. 

“Bepo, did we lose anyone?” Law knew just based on the cheers that the answer was no, but we wanted to check inventory just in case. 

“No, captain! Ikkaku has an injured leg, from the looks of it, and Jean seems to be injured on the torso, but nothing stitches can’t fix,” Bepo gave a small laugh, relaxing finally as the battle was over. 

A cheer erupted from Sachi and Penguin, who still had the man, Frank, down beneath them. They seemed relieved and elated, having gotten their wish at being a part of some action since the events of Wano. Their good cheer was soon interrupted though. 

“You pirate scum!” Frank growled, his arm clearly twisted painfully from underneath the heart pirate’s weight, “how fucking dare you cleave Nova in two?! Put her back together, I know you can, Surgeon of Death!”

Law felt himself slowly smile mockingly at the man, admiring the clean break his men made to Frank’s arm. He calmly stepped forward before kneeling in front of the hunter, sheathing his blade and moving it to rest against his shoulder and arm as he stared the man down. He couldn’t help but mock the bounty Hunter in front of him, down on the floor at his mercy yet still so prideful. It made Law very amused. 

“You know, you don’t seem to be in the position to be making demands, hunter-ya. In fact, you may want to start begging for your life, instead of mouthing off.” Law couldn’t help the playful drawl, his threat punctuated by the squeezing of Alice’s heart. Her screams of pain echoed in the back of their conversation, as Nova’s concerned yell pierced the air. Frank seemed to pale, the situation they all found themselves in seemingly sinking in. 

Frank lowered his head, gritting his teeth tightly, hesitating before speaking in a much softer tone, “what do you want”.

It was more of a statement than a question, but that served Law just fine. With a slow drawl and an easy grin, Law got close to Frank’s face before speaking in a low, teasing voice. 

“You better know how to swim.”

With that, Law signaled for Penguin to grab the man from underneath Sachi, while Bepo was motioned to grab the woman currently in two parts. While his navigator half-heartedly pressed her back together while mumbling a small apology, Law approached Alice, heart still in hand. 

“I hope you're ready for a dip, Alice-ya.” The fear in Alice’s eyes was clear as day, giving Law a sort of sick amusement. They really should have been prepared for this, it wasn’t like Pirates were known for keeping prisoners. Especially not him. With a motion, he got ready to throw the woman overboard, heart and all, when it happened. 

At first, Law assumed that the cool breeze he felt was the grand line picking up its infamous spontaneous weather. It wouldn’t be the first time they had been caught unsuspecting in the middle of a freak blizzard, regardless of previous weather patterns. But then, Law heard the worried shouts of Bepo and Sachi, whose alarm put him on edge. His Haki flared out around him, taking in his surroundings, and suddenly there was a hand around his ankle. 

“CAPTAIN!”

The air picks up, and Law finds himself widening his eyes as the heart drops from his hand. It feels as if cold slime washes over him, enveloping him in an uncomfortable embrace, and suddenly he’s seeing colors that were not there before. He tries to reach around, to see his crew or extend his room to pick up and teleport him anywhere but right there next to Alice. 

Instead, all he feels is his energy sapping itself from his body, as he begins to sink deeper and deeper into the cold, wet expanse, until only black remains around him...

* * *

“CAPTAIN!? _CAPTAIN!_ ” 

The crew was shouting, having just watched their captain quite literally disappear out of thin air. Bepo abandons his post, rushing in a flurry of white and grey towards the downed bounty Hunter and the Heart that fell to the floor just before his captain blinked from existence. 

“What did you do?!”

Bepo had never sounded more angry or desperate in a while, panicked and furious at the Hunter who just disappeared his captain and his best friend. He reached for her, shaking her desperately as he reached for information, wanting to know what the hell she did to his captain, his friend. 

“I don’t know, I don’t know! I don’t know where they go, I don’t know at all, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The woman’s desperate ramblings began to slur together, her fear spiking in the presence of a very angry mink, “I don’t know what fruit I ate, all I know is that they disappear when I get too upset, I can’t help it, I'm sorry!” 

The answer made Bepo more angry, shaking the women in his frustration and angst. 

“What do you mean you don’t know! How can you not know your own Devil fruit?! _How inept are you?!_ ” Bepo hadn’t felt this scared since his captain actively walked to his capture at the expense of their freedom back in Wano. The woman underneath him began to shake and tremble, mumbling apologies quickly from underneath her breath. Genova, whose capture was taken over by Sachi when Bepo rushed towards the downed bounty Hunter desperately searching for their captain, shouted at the mink in equal amounts of frustration. 

“Put her down, she doesn’t know anything!” 

Bepo harshly dropped the woman, rounding on the other with a furious and desperate expression. He stalked toward her, Sachi holding her still, his form trembling as the rest of the crew watched on in horror at what just happened. 

“ _What do you mean she doesn’t know?!_ ” Bepo lifted the woman up by the front of her shirt, Sachi letting go of her easily and stepping back, giving the polar bear his space. Bepo rarely got like this, and when he was angry, you best stay out of his way. The normally apologetic bear never messed around when it came to his captain. 

The woman trembled in Bepo’s grip, cowed by the large bear, but stood defiantly with her lip jutted out. “I mean, we don’t know where he is, okay?! They just disappear, it only happens when Alice’s emotions are too high strung! It’s his own goddamn fault, she panicked okay?!” 

Bepo growled, a deep rumble coming from his throat as Sachi finally stepped in and put an arm at the mink’s shoulder. It didn’t do too much to calm the navigator, but Bepo took a deep breath regardless. He was the first mate in absence of the Captain, he couldn’t fly off the rails, he needed to be calm, his instincts screaming at him be damned. 

With narrowed eyes, but a thankfully much calmer voice, Bepo turned on the woman. 

“ _What fruit did she eat._ ” The dull, low tone was almost scarier than the angry shout. Genova, properly nervous, swallowed thickly, knowing the answer was not going to make the polar bear currently holding her off the ground happy. 

“The auctioneer said it worked like the paw fruit and the time fruit...” she made a noise of distress as the mink’s grip on her tightened, a growl entering the Pirates throat yet again. 

“ _And what does that mean?_ ”

Genova looked to Frank and the still panicking Alice, weighing their options. Cooperation was their best bet for making it out alive right now, their hired crew had abandoned them and the rest of their grunts had jumped ship. Their plans to make it big with the bounty of Trafalgar “The Surgeon of Death” Law was now effectively squashed, Frank had what looked to be a nasty broken arm, and Alice’s heart was out of her chest and _still beating_. They had just disappeared a very notorious captain, and they were stuck in enemy territory. 

Their only option for survival was helping these pirates by getting their captain back. Genova really didn’t want to see her younger siblings dead, whether by drowning or mauling. 

She swallowed. “It means that he was flung somewhere back in time...”

There was a moment of silence. 

“ **_What?!_ **”

* * *

When Trafalgar Law woke up, he was sore and miserable. Cold had seeped into his bones, and his clothes hung against his frame drenched in sea water. The first thing he did after fluttering his eyes open was cough up a small lake into the gravel beneath him and wheeze against the ground. His limbs ache with the familiar pain of exhaustion, the same pain he would always get after he was fished out of the sea but one of his crew. He was heavy, and when he tried to push himself to a sitting position, he found himself struggling in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Sitting up was difficult, but Law didn’t lay claim to an emperor seat by being a weak pushover. Law heaved, trying to catch his breath long enough to put his heart rate back down to acceptable levels, idly flicking his hands to shake off some excess sand that had gathered on them. 

Law took a survey of his surroundings, noting the barren shore covered in gravel and sand that bled into rocky hills and sparse trees. In the distance, he noticed buildings, but no lavish port, and to his right what looked to be a pile of garbage and waste. This didn’t seem like the island they were sailing to. That island was a spring isle, famed for its flower fields and golden architecture. It had a well documented history of little marine influence, but a strong monarchy, and was neutral towards Pirates. While Law was no navigator, he was fairly sure the weather here suggested a fall, or even a more mild winter island, and that town in the distance did not scream “Golden City”. 

How had he ended up here? The last thing he remembered was dropping that bounty hunters heart onto the deck before being swallowed by flashes of color. Had something happened to him? Had he been thrown overboard? Why hadn’t his crew retrieved him if that was the case? Penguin, or even Bepo, wouldn’t have let him get swept into the currents of the Grand line, not with it being such a death sentence for him because of his devil fruit. Even if he had gotten tossed into the ocean like a rag doll, why was he here? You’d think that Davy Jones would have claimed him for the locker, the seas hate for users well known and well experienced by the surgeon. He knew he was soaked in sea water, a tell tale sign that he was in the ocean at some point, but to be swept up into a powerful enough current so far from their destination was a sign of god, or at least foul play. Law, despite being of religious upbringing, had long since learned that god didn’t exist, and if they did, they had no care for the living, so it was much more likely something had intentionally brought him here, and it was no divine will. 

Law let out a heaving sigh. All of his questions rattled in his head, but he wouldn’t get answers by sitting on the coast and twiddling his thumbs. So, he heaved himself into a standing position with some struggle, and turned his head to look for Kikoku, finding her easily a few meters to his right. Retrieving his sword and placing it comfortably in his arms, Law turned and made a heading towards the buildings in the distance. 

The long walk that took place was just enough time for his clothing to dry substantially, and for Law to gather his thoughts properly. He didn’t know where he was, but it was always safe to assume that a town was not welcoming towards Pirates. And without his crew at his back or allies to rely on, it would be easier for Law to lie to what seemed to be a small, backwater town than to claim to be a renowned and wanted pirate captain who had just been credited with major involvement in taking down an emperor of the sea. Law couldn’t claim to know his new bounty, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he joined Straw Hat Luffy in the billions. 

Reaching the town took a walk of around thirty minutes, and he wasn’t then surprised to see it was filled with men and women of a poorer disposition. It wasn’t a large town by any means, but it wasn’t small either. It was no village, and the men who hung around various buildings seemed to be the type to work fields and hard labor. The women, either working women or family women, seemed hardened and stoic. The atmosphere of the town was peaceful, but there was an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and troubles. It was the same type of feeling that Law experienced when he was in the North Blue, all those years ago. Towns like this one weren’t uncommon, used to piracy and outlaws visiting to torment residents and take what they could. It made Law more certain in his decision regarding his venture into piracy when he chose to start gathering information. 

As Law walked, making his way to the most noise and commotion knowing from experience that this would be where the pub would be, he occasionally bumped into a wealthier looking man or woman, pickpocketing a small sum of cash off of them without a stray thought. The action was familiar, in an amusing way. He hadn’t had to resort to this type of money gathering since before he was officially recognized as a captain in his own right. Being reminded of simpler times on Spider Miles or Swallow Island made his chuckle wryly, reminiscing of the smaller, less illegal ways he used to make money. No one really imagined the fear Captain Trafalgar Law, Surgeon of Death, to know and excelled at something so beneath him as pickpocketing, not even stopping to consider that he may have needed it as a smaller-than-average, sick orphan. 

Law briefly withheld a snort as he palmed the cash he took and began to count it. Four victims and just shy of two hundred beli, enough for room and board for a couple of nights and a warm drink. Better than he was expecting, in all honesty. His surroundings began to bleed into busier streets, and the sounds of men laughing and singing merrily began to get louder and louder. Seems he was getting close to the local pub, by the looks of it. 

It was a quaint building, with warm lights and a jovial atmosphere. It was clear this was a local hotspot, filled to the brim with working men, farmers who had retired for the night, and women looking for an easy customer. The feeling that was excluded from the building was more excited and happy than most of the dreary town, and it seemed that the pub lifted the spirits of the locals. The waiting staff was bustling about, seen even from the outside of the establishment waiting tables and tending to rowdy customers. Law wasn’t sure if this was the only bar in town, but it definitely was the most popular. 

Upon entering the establishment, Law was greeted by a few turned heads and a cacophony of voices and merriment. To be honest, Law was surprised that he was dismissed so easily by the residents, despite most of them being in a drunken haze. He wasn’t as notable as some of his generation, but he hadn’t experienced this level of dismissiveness since he first entered the grand line with a bounty under fifty million. With a narrowing of his eyes, Law made his way towards the bar, sitting in one of the few open seats near the corner of the dimly lit pub. 

“What’ll it be, boy?” 

Law set his gaze on an older, more grizzled woman. Her wrinkles were prominent, and her posture was slouched, but it was clear she used to be extremely beautiful in her youth. Her face was pulled into a neutral scowl, and she definitely seemed the type to take no nonsense from anyone, giving off the vibe of someone well lived and well experienced in the more violent nature of the world. Law couldn’t figure out if she was just a bartender or someone of more importance at the workplace. 

“Something warm and cheap,” Law decided it would be better to save the money he acquired, and focused instead on warming his aching and cold body. Whether it be alcohol or not, something hot would be most welcome. 

The woman nodded, grabbing a glass and wiping it with a passably clean rag, before filling it with something that steamed and a shot of some sort of whiskey. She placed it in front of him with little preamble, and Law felt himself relax when he reached for the cup, warming his hands with it briefly. The woman leaned up against the bar, giving him a once over, before eying his sword. 

Her lip curled. “You some sorta bounty hunter er’somethin’?” 

Law couldn’t help the small snort that escaped from him at the words. Him? A bounty Hunter? He took a sip of his drink, feeling the warmth down his throat that was quickly followed by the familiar feeling of liquor. 

“Or something,” was the only reply the woman got. She nodded understandingly, eying his face for a moment longer before meandering off to clean the bar counter just a few seats over. 

Law sat at the stool, sipping his drink to warm his body for a few more minutes. The loud bar, with conversations being spouted left and right, were prime targets for eavesdropping. He caught tail end conversations about field work or a local store which was going out of business. It was all typical bar fare talk, useless in the long run, yet he still filed it away. 

“-telling you, what that scoundrel is doing across the seas is a travesty! He’s taking over good, strong working folks and pushing them under his thumb-“

“You know that Vinsmoke doesn’t care about the people he’s _pushing under this thumb_ , he’s a bastard on par with those snob nobles in Rubeck-“

“ _Don’t you think I know that-_ “

The conversation, which was said in _north blue creole of all things_ , Law caught the tail end of was interrupted by the bartender, who set down a small bowl of stew in front of him. Law, startled, looked at her and blinked, face neutral and closed off. 

“I didn’t order any food.”

The woman gave him a heavily amused look, snorting to herself before replying idly, “ya look like yer gonna kneel over any second, kid. Take the soup,” before settling down to lean against the bar, staring into his very soul. 

Law cautiously took the soup, eating a spoonful with hesitance, but found it to be a simple lentil stew. He even tasted red-horned tuna, something that was vaguely nostalgic to him with it being a common north blue fish. This wasn’t his first time tasting cuisine in the new world that originated in the north blue, especially with the new world being so close to the most northern sea with only the calm best separating them. But the taste was native, feeling genuine on his tongue. 

“Yer not from around here, are ya?” 

Law lowered the spoon to the bowl, looking the woman in the eye. “You could say that”, Law stated, giving nothing away in his expression. 

The woman smiled wryly, looking more amused than anything else. “I can tell. Yer clothings fancier than we urchins are use to, and ya seem to be a bit too seafaring to be from the fields on the other side of the island”, the woman took his now empty glass, filling it with the same drink as from before, “So, what's brought ya about these parts?”

Law paused, giving his answer little more than a stray thought. 

“... Shipwreck.” 

The woman whistled, looking almost joyed at the news. “Shipwrecked in these parts? Why, you’ve gotta have the luck of the Devil. Whether that be good or bad is the tell.” Law took another spoonful of the soup, eating as he tried to clue himself into the conversations around him. More creole was spoken, mixed in with the common spoken in most of the grand line. 

“And where exactly is here?” Law had to ask, feeling an inkling of dread beginning to pile within his being. Context clues began coming in one by one, stacking onto each other in an attempt to make sense of the full picture. The language, the conversation, the names, the food, even the goddamn ale... 

Law felt the words _North Blue_ rang around his head in a loop. 

“Why, it must have been a pretty nasty shipwreck to have to ask a question like that”, the woman gave a hum, idly drawing back to clean the counter just a bit closer to him, “yer in Ripnuck, east of Rubeck, just north of Swallow. Ya might want to start practicing yer Creole, cause while those at the bar know Common, Creole is a bit more widespread. Ya know, it being the North Blue in all.”

Law felt himself stop, cup raised halfway to a drinking position. He knew he was staring at the old woman for longer than was socially acceptable. The north blue... 

_How the hell had he ended up in the north blue?!_

Law felt his eye twitch, wanting to curse every name to hell and back. His luck had taken a turn ever since he met straw hat Luffy, but this is ridiculous! Did he get blasted across the calm belt by that damn Devil fruit? How the hell was he supposed to get back to the new world with no den den mushi, no ship, a large bounty, and the navy after his head?! Not to mention getting past an equally volatile political climate that just opened up with the subsequent deafest of Kaido, there was no way he was making it back to his crew without support and funds. He couldn’t just pickpocket his way to getting a new _submarine_. 

Law felt his hand shake as he set his drink on the counter, having not taken a sip. The woman eyed him with what seemed to be some concern. 

“Ya alright there, pal?” The woman set her rag to the side, “I’m gonna take a guess and say that yer a bit far from home?” 

Law exhaled a breathy, almost rueful laugh. 

“You could say that.” 

The woman, who he just now realizes he never got the name of, gives him a mildly sympathetic look before returning to her work. Law busied himself with thinking. 

How can he plan around this? The first thing he needed to do was to get information, and then a snail to contact the Polar Tang. What can he do from a bar? From the looks of the pub, they sold rooms, but even then that’s a temporary solution if any. Law lived in the north blue, street urchin as he was in-between his bouts of piracy, and he knew just how ruthless towns without noble influence could be. While the town itself didn’t scream lawless desperation like Spider Miles, Law was no fool. There would be rampant slave trade, muggers and thieves, unstable healthcare, and a hefty number of small time Pirates and Bounty Hunters. The towns people seemed to be the working sort, who lived off the rocky land or trades which required the larger port of Rubeck. That meant there was a trade system in place, and that meant this place wasn’t completely doomed. 

Law couldn’t take the chance of being recognized either, these people would sell him out in an instant if that meant money. That’s just how it was in the north. 

“-gotten pretty high in these recent months, ya think it means something?”

“I don’ know Marty, the man’s a monster, who knows what’s goin’ on in ‘is head. If the marine hero ‘imself ‘as been chasin’ that man and _still_ ain’t catchin’ ‘im what’s there to do? That bounty speaks fer itself.”

“But it’s _Gold Roger_ , surely he’s gotta be caught sometime, ya know? Damn, just imagine the lucky bastard who gets the self proclaimed _pirate king_ -“ 

... What. 

_What._

_Gold Rover?! Pirate king?!_

Law felt himself turn towards the loud pair at the bar, the very same he had heard speaking in Creole about the _Vinsmoke family_ earlier. Clues began to form in his head, the Vinsmokes haven’t been active in the North Blue for decades and the last he heard about them was with the Straw Hat chef renouncing the claims that he was a part of the evil army of Germa, which Law still insists is a lie, that chef is Stealth Black dammit! 

Not to even mention _the past goddam pirate king_. 

Law turned his head to the pair, speaking in rushed and slightly rusty Creole as he did. “What do you mean the pirate king?!”

The men gave him a bewildered look, almost as if taking pity on him as the man with blond hair nodded sympathetically, “Ya that monster ‘as been given the title recently, ‘specially with that ‘uge bounty increase. The man’s a Devil, ‘es gotta be.” The other, a brunette, nodded along. 

“They say he’s even sailed to the end of the world! Imagine that, I wonder if it ends like all them superstitions say.” The men returned to their conversation, discussing the possibility of the world ending with a sheer drop, leaving Law to his revelations. 

Since when is there a pirate king, let alone Gol D. Roger?! This had to be the ramblings of drunken men, right? Had the ale finally gone to the heads of his bar neighbors, causing this spectacle that he just so happened to overhear? 

Law felt the icy hold of dread grip his heart, a feeling he hadn’t felt since true terror had gripped his heart at the thought of his crew being dead. What if... they did mean the pirate king. What if... 

The time fruit existed, in the past though it may have been. It was held by Kozuki Toki, a fact he knew well after fighting a war in Wano. What if... 

No, that was crazy talk, the ramblings of a man with no ship letting alcohol take the reins after a long day. It was impossible, improbably, the fact that anything of this sort could happen to him at all. 

Going to the past was _impossible_. 

Still... he waved down the bartender, the woman who had given him where he was with little preamble and handed over a warm drink without much fuss. 

“Can you tell me the date? The year, if you don’t mind.” 

The woman gave him a funny look, obviously amused that this was what she was flagged down for. “That musta been quite the shipwreck to need the date, kid.” 

Law growled, growing impatient. “Just give me the date!” The woman gave an amused look, finding his irritation almost like a breath of fresh air. 

“It’s August 16th.” 

Law gave the woman a sour look, which she rolled her eyes at. Kids these days were so demanding. 

“August 16th, _1491_.” 

Law had never felt so close to tossing himself into the sea as this moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently a work in progress and labeled as a one shot, but there should be more on the way for this au. I haven't seen many "Law goes back in time" stories revolving around the Donquixote's, the few that come to mind are "Time slips under our feet" by Shiraioki and "The Beginning of a Certain End" by codedredalert. Both are phenomenal and should definitely be checked out.
> 
> Please feel free to comment any corrections, errors, or suggestions!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12.20.2020

He’d be the first to admit that he was nursing this drink for far longer than was appropriate. 

Law had felt himself stew in that astonishing admission for hours. The woman, who after seeing how shaken Law was by her words, had moved on to new patrons, leaving him to his thoughts. It was impossible, the situation he found himself in. How could something as unreasonable as time travel have happened to him, let alone time travel to the past? 

That was probably the most unreasonable part, the fact that he was in the past. 

Time travel to events that had already happened should be impossible, you could not change events that have already come to pass. By being here, more than thirty years from his present, could have disastrous consequences that could end in the destruction of his future. 

Law stared at the brown liquid in his glass, the cup having long since lost its heat. This was a disaster. An absolute disaster. There was no point in getting a snail now, who would he contact? Half of his crew wasn’t even alive, let alone engaged in piracy along the grand line. He had no alliance, no friends, no Nakama, he was stranded in the north blue with only his sword and his Devil fruit. His actions as a pirate were nonexistent according to the world government, and with no bounty his presence was ignored. He was a nobody, he didn’t even exist! 

He wasn’t notorious, and suddenly the blank and fearless stares he had received on his walk through town made so much more sense. He was no one to these people. At most, he was a strange man with oddly placed ink and a sword who most would assume was some bounty Hunter with baggage. He was almost tempted to laugh if the situation he found himself in wasn’t so irritating and exhausting. 

“Ya gonna finish that, boy?” Law looked up to see the old bartender look in his direction with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve been here fer hours, just staring at that drink like it’s personally wronged ya.” 

Law snorted, before knocking back the rests of his ale in a single shot. The woman rolled her eyes, before motioning to him with four fingers. 

“That’ll be forty beli.” Law made no resistance as he reached into his pocket and placed the torn and stolen assortment bills and coins on the table in front of him. The woman gave a grin before speaking in a friendly tone, “much obliged.” 

Law took the moment to look around the bar, noticing how empty the place looked now that the night had long since begun. A few drunk patrons were talking amongst themselves at a few tables, and a dozen seats down the bar sat a man half asleep and miserably filled with alcohol. It was almost a shock to see the formerly brimming pub so desolate and deserted at this time of night, Law used to populate places like this being the life of the party long into the hours of morning. The woman must have noticed his assessment. 

“This place winds down easy enough once midnight rolls around. You’ve been staring fer a few hours there, boy. Been creeping out the bar patrons, but ya looked like ya needed some time”, the woman grabbed her own glass, before filling it with something rich and creamy from behind the counter that steamed. Seems employees weren’t exempt from tasting the stock. 

Law gave a mild hum. “I’ve had some... interesting revelations tonight.” 

The woman gave an amused snort. “Must’ve been some pretty powerful revelations to cause ya to blank for so long”, the bartender looked amused at Law’s dry expression, giving him the impression that she was more entertained by his suffering than she let on, “what’s even yer name, boy? You’ve been in the pub fer hours, and I’ve still ain’t gotten it.” 

“It’s common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking another for their name.” Law knew he was being unnecessarily rude, but he needed a minute to think. Would there be consequences for using his own name? He knew he came from a long line of prevalent doctors, but that was in the countries of the north, not this far south near the boonies. Law was almost certain he would be giving himself a headache by the time he was done considering the logistics of giving something as simple as a name. 

“The name is Una Angelina, but the regulars call me Angel. Ya know, fer my charmin’ good looks,” the woman, Angel, gave a wicked grin at the explanation, daring Law to say anything to contradict her. Law wasn’t sure if he wanted to tempt fate. 

Already feeling a headache coming on, Law figured that the most giving his name to a random bartender in the middle of nowhere when he hadn’t even been born yet could at most make people think he was a distant relative to some doctors, especially considered his profession. 

“... Trafalgar Law.” 

Angel gave a triumphant expression, wiping down the counters as she looked at him with all the amusement of an old woman looking at a small child. “An’ what do ya do, Trafalgar Law? Ya mentioned a shipwreck, but ya haven’t mentioned much else.” 

Law weighed his options. So far, he was stranded alone, very far from home, with little else but his skills and his weapon. He had already given a safe cover story, a shipwreck that landed him on the godforsaken rock, and he had already given his name. Saying he was a pirate now was tantamount to asking for suspicion from people like Angel, who have been perfectly acceptable of his presence. It felt his remaining options pretty bare, but what else could he do? It wouldn’t be his first time laying low and pretending to be someone he’s not in order to gather information and monetary stability. 

“... I’m a doctor. I was hired on a merchant vessel which was taken out by a storm just north of Swallow. I woke up on the beach this evening.” 

Angel gave a low whistle, “well, ain’t that just bad luck, Trafalgar. Ya say yer a doctor? Don’t look the type.” 

Law really couldn’t take offense to that, especially not with his typical manner. Even with his recent switch back to using jeans and sweaters, he wasn’t the most approachable person. “I know”, was his simple answer. Angel gave Law a considering look, as if weighing something on her mind. 

“Ya don’t gotta place to crash right now, right? The bar’s got extra rooms fer rent above the lot, and down the street we’ve gotta clinic in need of a doc since Hans bailed town,” Angel’s face softened as she spoke, “it ain’t much, but ya look like you could use the offer.” 

Law must have taken longer to reply, if her once over and subsequence “no offense” was thrown his way a few seconds later. Was it really that easy? A few hours in the bar and an old woman decided she wanted to pick him up like a stray. 

Law didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended. 

He decided neither as he nodded and thanked Angel for the offer. “Thank you, Una-ya.” 

The woman laughed then, “call me Angel, Angel! Una was my mother, an’ I ain’t nothing like that crazy ol’ bat!” 

The woman was jovial then, almost too happy by his acceptance to her offer. Law couldn’t say he wasn’t perturbed, but it was the best he was going to get for lodging, especially with the price of room and board being only fifty beli for a couple of nights. Extremely cheap and relatively friendly, it really was his best option. Angel made wild gestures for the pirate to follow her to the back rooms, walking up a flight of stairs with little preamble. Law grabbed his sword, leaving his dishes at the counter, and followed the woman with little prompting as he felt exhaustion seep into his bones. He really was tired, the day catching up to him. 

Angel led him to a room on the second floor, opening it for his inspection. It was little more than a small cupboard with a bed and a desk, but Law wasn’t one who needed much to survive. 

“The outhouse is down the hall, to yer left. Breakfast is usually just after sunrise, and the pub proper opens just after working hours at noon, so don’t make yourself a nuisance!” Angel gave Law a pat on the back, startling him to move out of her grasp, making her eye him considering, “an don’t start shit with the other patrons. The clinic down the road takes walk ins, so just head over there tomorrow when ya got the time. I’m sure Nicky’ll take care of ya.” 

With little else, the woman left Law alone to stew or sleep. The man heaved himself over to his head, sitting down heavily with a deep sigh. His body ached and his limbs didn’t wish to move after they had properly been given rest, but his mind was whirling. Law set his blade against the desk next to his bed, before laying down against the sheets and placing his arm across his face. 

What kind of mess had he gotten himself into? 

* * *

The town of Ribneck was active in the morning’s, if you knew where to look. Shopkeepers were opening their stores sleepily, owners were taking stock of their inventory, and workers were wandering around heading for the fields. Law wasn’t too sure about the politics of the small town on the other side of Rubeck, but as he wandered down the streets with his sword in hand and clean clothes he had borrowed, Law wondered if it was an agricultural town or a mining one. 

The air was frigid, like all north blue islands this time of year. Cold and dry, even when there is no snow. Law held his arms close to himself, trying to conserve heat as he watched the town go about its business. The bartender, Angel, was apparently the owner of the popular pub, and had a habit of picking up strays if the bright and scrappy faces of those at breakfast were anything to indicate. All of them familiar with one another, and all of them looking at him with sympathy that could only be born from experience. He had met two other men, whose names he hadn’t bothered to learn, who had been down on their luck when Angel had found them. Another, a young woman just a few years shy of twenty, told him that Angel had given her a place when she had run from her life as a prostitute on the other side of the isle. Law was both relieved and annoyed that there were others like him who had been given a place by the grizzled old woman. It made him feel like a charity case, but at least he wasn’t the only charity case. 

After eating a small breakfast of rice porridge —  _ “ya need to eat something with more bread, Trafalgar! Yer skin and bones!” _ — Law made his way to the clinic, intent to put himself to good use while he begins to figure out how he’s going to get back to his crew. 

It hadn’t occurred to him until he was laying down last night just how hopeless this situation is. As he laid in his threadbare sheets, staring at the ceiling, Law realized that in order to get back, he would need to get to Wano of all places. And not just that, but he was on a ten year time limit. 

The only known Devil fruit with the ability to send people to the future was in the hands of Kozuki Toki, a woman who fell in love with Kozuki Oden. Their marriage and love story was the only reason Kozuki Toki hadn’t thrown herself farther into the future. Law didn’t know when she came to live in Wano, but he did know she died twenty years ago, or ten years in the future. 

Law had a window of ten years to use, and he didn’t even know if he headed to Wano straight this minute if Kozuki Toki would even be there. The most information he had was that Momonosuke was eight years old, meaning that Kozuki Toki must at least be in Wano in two to three years time. 

Which means he had two to three years to burn before he’s guaranteed to go back home, and that’s if Kozuki Toki grants his wish. That’s if it’s even possible to go to  _ his _ future. 

Three years is a long time to be a hermit, not interfering with the world, and Law wondered if that’s what he would have to be to not change anything. 

Law sighed heavily, looking up to see a half broken sign with the words “Clinic” painted on them in Creole. Another thing that was slightly annoying, especially with his Creole being so rusty. The town spoke the language primarily, with only a few restaurant owners and innkeepers speaking common. Angel, who is one of the few bilinguals of the town, always speaks common to those who look like newcomers. Everyone else though? Only Creole. 

Law entered the establishment with little hesitation. He was a doctor, rusty language skills aside, and a clinic was his domain. While he specialized in surgeries, that did not mean he wasn’t a practicing physician when it was needed. He was no medicine mixer like the straw hats reindeer, but he was not incompetent in his trade. 

“Welcome! If you are injured or hurt, please make your way to the right wing and sign in if possible. If you are here for other reasons, please head to the receptionist desk”, yelled a young man in Creole, not even looking up from his worn desk in the center of the clinic. Law took a moment to look around, seeing the so-called right wing through a door frame to a small waiting room filled with wooden chairs. Unsurprisingly, it was empty, but given the time of day, Law supposed that was subject to change. The clinic was small, probably only a few rooms on the back for examinations and a typical procedure room. The two waiting rooms, one with an old reception desk, were old and ragged, either pointing to age or lack of funds on part of the clinic. Law supposed they weren’t sponsored by a larger hospital, and were the only practicing healthcare for the town. 

Law made his way to the desk and placed a hand on the table in front of him, tapping it twice. The man, who seemed to be around Law’s age, if a bit younger, looked up. “Are there any practicing physicians in?” 

The young man narrowed his eyes at the pirate, probably noting his slight accent, “our doctor is very busy currently. If you need medical attention, please make your way to the waiting room.” 

The man was giving Law a particularly sour look, which Law happily returned. He wasn’t one to handle much disrespect from those younger than him, unless it benefitted him, and Law figured he had been pretty damn patient with his whole situation. Still, Law refrained from taking apart the man in front of him, and gave him a bored look. “I’m a doctor, in need of stable work. Point me to your physician.” 

“Do you have any credentials?” The young man scoffed at Law, actually scoffed! God, he missed his notoriety, he wouldn’t have had to prove his competence as a doctor when it was actively known he saved the life of Straw Hat Luffy through a difficult and near fatal procedure. It was practically a calling card for him! Law felt his eyes narrow at the boy. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have any papers, but I’m willing to perform in practicals to confirm my competence.” 

The boy narrowed his eyes further in turn, “I’m afraid if you don’t have papers, than you can get lost-“

“Jack, are you harassing the patients again?!” 

The boy shot up straight, turning his head in the direction of a doorway near the back of the receptions room, startled. In the doorway stood a man, older in age and yet not exactly out of his prime. If Law would have to put an age on him, he would guess fifty or so years. He wore a patchwork doctor's coat and loose fitted clothing that matched the boys style, which Law figured was the town's typical cloth work. Law supposed this was the doctor of the clinic. 

“Doctor Williams!” The boy, Jack, exclaimed, suddenly standing from his place behind his desk with a face that screamed startled guilt, “No, no, of course not! I would never!” 

The man laughed, heartily and deep. Law noted the wrinkled lines around his eyes and supposed the man had spent a large portion of his life laughing with his whole being. “I’m sure, I’m sure! Now, who's this fine gent?” 

The boy scowled in Law’s direction, like the doctor's mocking tone was his fault instead of the boys prickly attitude. “This man is just leaving, Doctor, don’t mind him.” The doctor raised an eyebrow in response. 

“Oh, really? And here I thought he was a doctor,” the boy's eyes widened, not expecting the doctor to have caught his conversation with Law. Law directed an amused smirk at the now stuttering boy, finding some sick amusement in the others embarrassment. He wasn’t one to forgive disrespect so quickly, after all. 

The doctor, Williams, turned to Law and ignored Jack’s sudden apologies and excuses. “Forgive my apprentice, he’s been a bit prickly since Hans ran with his tail between his legs”, the words were spoken in humor, but there was a certain edge to the doctor's tone. Law supposed that Hans didn’t leave on good terms with the townsfolk, having heard similar tales of abandonment from Angel. The pirate pushed the information to the side, nodding mildly in the direction of the doctor. 

“It’s fine,” Law wasn’t sure what other assurances he could make to the older man, “I am in need of work. You’ll find I am a competent doctor, paper verification or not.” 

There was nothing else to say. Law wanted the conversation to get straight to the point, he had already wasted the morning waking to the clinic and squabbling with an immature paperboy. The faster he could begin to settle, the quicker he would be able to find his footing and work his way through a solution. Law temper was beginning to be tested, and Law had never wished for his crew more than now, pointedly ignoring the glare directed at him by Jack. 

The doctor looked at Law like he was searching for something, before smiling and turning to Jack. “I’ll be taking him on as an assistant doctor. A trial week should suffice to verify if he truly has skill like he claims.” The doctor turned to walk through the door to the back rooms, looking over his shoulder at Law. “Well? Come along then!”

Law smirked and followed the man. What proceeded was hours of getting to know the layout, demonstrating differing doctoral skills, and going a bit more in-depth with Law’s own theoretical knowledge. Over the course of these hours, Law felt himself catch his words before they poured out, trying to limit his knowledge of future procedures and surgical techniques to the minimum. Many of the standard practices he used had developed over the course of the next few decades, his own techniques non withstanding. By the end of the limited evaluation, to say that Doctor Williams Judas was impressed would have been an understatement. 

“You are more than qualified to be an assistant, at least,” the doctor whistled, impressed with the dressing that Law did of a middle-aged man’s rolled ankle, “what did you say your practicing craft was again?” 

Law smirked, knowing exactly how impressive his doctoral knowledge is. “I’m a surgeon, Williams-ya. Though, I suppose I’m also a practicing physician when needed.” Williams looked impressed, an expression he’s been wearing for most of the afternoon. 

“We haven’t had a surgeon in these parts for a while. Usually, when a wound gets too bad, all we can do as doctors in this town is make the patient comfortable for their passing. Having a surgeon is going to be a blessing.” 

Law said nothing as he nodded, taking inventory of the medications and prescriptions in the back room while half-listening to Williams. The doctor, nodding to himself, approached Law and clapped him on the back, giving the man a bright smile which was lined with gratitude. “It’ll be good to have you, Doctor Trafalgar. Just don’t run off at the first sign of trouble”. 

Law gave a mild chuckle. The first sign of trouble, huh? Law had never been someone to run because of something so trivial as trouble. 

The doctor told Law then that he was good to go home, something which Law was grateful for. His body was still recovering from his ocean Dio the day before, and he hadn’t felt this tired in a long while. Law had actually enjoyed working at the clinic, despite its low resources and attitude-ridden apprentice. He had forgotten just how much he liked to just be a doctor, no baggage attached. 

Law made his way back to the pub, noticing how loud the night life had become as work hours faded into drinking ones. The pub wasn’t just popular on the day he arrived, it was apparent popular year-round. Upon entering the establishment, Law greeted Angel with a pointed use of her last name — “Its Angel, Trafalgar!  _ Angel! _ ” — before immediately retiring to his room with a small bowl of fruits. He learned just that morning that unless he clarified his dislike for bread, he would be getting it with every meal. 

Law figured this was the best start he could get in a small town like this one. A place to sleep, food to eat, a job he enjoyed at least minimally. 

And most importantly, _ stability _ .

Law finished his food and laid down to sleep, sinking deeper into unconsciousness as a cold feeling of dread wrapped itself around his soul. The bed was uncomfortable, thin, and overall unpleasant. But it was a bed. 

He missed his crew. 

* * *

Weeks progressed in a similar fashion. Workers left for the fields, shops opened up and accepted shipments from the larger city of Rubeck on the other side of the island, and Law left the sanctity of the little pub run by an old barkeep for the small rundown clinic. 

Law showed his expertise over these weeks, gaining credibility with both the townsfolk and the other doctor. He began to make house calls, mix medicines, and at one point even performed a simple surgery to remove shrapnel from an old field workers foot. The previous pirate captain found solace in the work, taking pleasure in the simplest procedures and the happiness the townsfolk seemed to show him in those weeks. 

Doctor Williams was constantly surprised by Law’s professionalism and ability, using him at every opportunity, and the young apprentice Jack was still disgruntled and annoyed whenever Law made an appearance at the clinic. Angel, who Law still only referred to with a respectful “Una-ya”, had begun to look forward to his presence at each morning breakfast, going so far as to make sure Law ate before he walked down to the small healthcare facility for his day of work. The townsmen began to ask him to drink with them, and various citizens had even made a point to remember his name for a simple greeting when passing by. Law earned wages, stayed in a decent room, and found friendly faces wherever he looked. 

It was... peaceful. 

Like the calm before a storm. 

Law had always been familiar with these feelings, having felt this same sense vibrate through him during multiple periods in his life. Life in Flevence before his sister succumbed to illness, those happy months with Corazon before his own sickness took a turn for the worst, those days leading up to the auction in Sabaody, the cold winter nights on Punk Hazard before Straw Hat had stormed the island, and most recently in his sub, just hours before the attack that landed him in the past, far away from his crew and family. 

Law was very familiar with the calm before the storm, and the atmosphere that surrounded these past few weeks reeked of it. 

Law turned over in his small bed, staring out the tiny window that occupied most of the wall space in his cubicle room. It was dawn, earlier than he would like it to be, but the lack of sleep was something Law was intimately familiar with. Insomnia seemed to only get worse with stress, and while his stay had been downright pleasant in the town of Ripnuck, the stress of being away from Bepo, Penguin, Sachi, his ship, his crew, his  _ Nakama _ , was getting to him. He missed being able to rest against the polar bear Mink’s fur, or to deal himself into a game of poker among his crew members, or even to listen to Ikkaku ramble on about the newest upgrade to the Polar Tang’s engine. He even missed his damned allies in his isolation, going so far as to  _ reminisce _ about never being able to make a plan that Straw Hat will  _ inevitably ruin _ . That was how far he was gone. 

A sign vibrated throughout his entire being, shaking him from his thoughts as he pushed himself to a seated position. Moving quickly and efficiently, Law dressed and relieved himself before making his way downstairs to the rest of the pub. The doctor had learned early on that while the bar wouldn’t be open until noon, someone was bound to be up and moving about the kitchen or dining room. 

Over the course of these past weeks, Law had adjusted to the lifestyle of a land-bound citizen. His wardrobe, while still keeping his signature yellow and black color palette, had changed to more easily fit in with the locals, courtesy of the barkeep who had grown in fondness for him — a fact Law still couldn’t completely comprehend. While certainly not as extravagant as his feathered hoodie and tight jeans, the yellow jacket trimmed with black feathers and deep blue trousers were warm and just his style. While the simple cotton black shirt wasn’t something he would have ever been caught dead in back on the seas of the New World, it did its job of insulating his heat in the frigid fall season. Law would have been mistaken for a native, had it not been for the prominent tattoos and Kikoku, which he refused to abandon to his room for days while he worked. He felt naked without his weapon, she was a part of him just like his own Devil fruit. Without the cursed blade, Law felt naked and unprotected. He was no professional swordsman by any means, but leaving without Kikoku would be like a surgeon abandoning his scalpel. It was better left avoided. 

Law entered the kitchen area, taking not of his surrounding. Bustling around the room was Angel, moving with all the grace of someone who had familiarized themselves with a room for decades, something which she probably did. He supposed she would be up now, seeing as she typically began to open up shop and begin cleaning by mid morning. 

“Good morning, Una-ya,” Law greeted Angel, making his presence known to her upon entering the room. He had made that mistake once before, having assumed that someone would sense his presence when entering, and had paid for that mistake with a bowl to the face. 

Angel turned, slightly startled, but relatively controlled, “Ah Trafalgar, good morn! And how many times do I have to say it, call me Angel!” She gave him a good natured smile, which he returned with a tired smirk.

“However many times it takes, I’m afraid”. 

Angel shook her head, laughing at him as she tossed him a piece of fruit. He took the offering gratefully, knowing just how rare fresh fruit was for the town over the course of his stay. For a pub, food and supplies were surprisingly a struggle for Angel to secure. The town itself was small, and the citizens were tight knit and reliable, but they were no major port city. They had no way to secure ships or merchants, and as such relied heavily on the day by day traveling of suppliers that ran from one side of the island to the next. That was how the townsfolk of Ripnuck survived, and it was how Law would survive until he could get himself better accommodations, which meant more funds. 

A pile of papers were slew across the small dining table positioned in the middle of the kitchen. Law, taking a bit of the citrus he was thrown, riffled through and found himself a copy of a local newspaper report, taking note of the date —  _ August 28th, 1491 _ — and the headline —  _ Mansion Razed to the Ground! Marine Investigation Launched while Nobles Flee! _ — before opening up to give the paper a read. Despite the paper being little over a week old, information was a priority, now more than ever. Updated papers like this were always late in Ripnuck, but late information was better than no information. And seeing as his copy of the World Economics Journal wouldn’t be coming for a few more days, he supposed that this news source was good enough in the meantime. 

“Nasty lot, that,” Angel spoke an hour or so later, the sun long since gone up and the town beginning to slowly wake, “I heard them nobles were the worst sort. No sympathy from me what’s happened to them, if ya ask me. Know too many who’ve been screwed over by nobles like em, either by slavers or the world government.” Law learned early on that Angel had no string feelings toward Pirates and bounty hunters, but had plenty to say about the World Government and the slave trade they secretly enable. It seemed even in the next thirty years, not much would change in that regard, if the barkeeps loud and righteous ramblings were anything to go by. Angel made her distaste clear, something he was grateful for. He wasn’t sure how long he would have been able to hide his disdain for the World Government otherwise. 

Law hummed noncommittally, turning the page to see a standard copy of the updated bounties for wanted Pirates and notorious big figures to watch in the local North Blue waters. What happened with some nobles on the other side of the island was no business of his. 

Despite his noted nonchalance, Law couldn’t help the alarm bells ringing in his head as he read for another hour before heading off to the clinic for a day of mixing medicines and making house calls. 

Familiarity was banging around in his mind. Why was that? 

While walking through the streets, Law felt the air around the town change. There was an undercurrent of anger, sharp and volatile, ready to burst at the slightest provocation. The feeling of dread piled within him, but Law kept walking. This wasn’t his problem, he couldn’t get wrapped up in the troubles of townsmen and women, even if they seemed to affect the whole immediate area. He was an outsider, just here to pass through and make just enough to get him where he needed to go. He had a goal, a reason for his every action, and distractions would not help him in reaching Wano and getting back to his crew within the next two years. Two years can go by quickly — after all he’d seen it happen with his own generation of pirate superpowers. 

Law entered the clinic with a slight flourish in his step, sword hung over his shoulder like always. Like every other day, the first sight that greeted him was Jack the apprentice, scowling at him from his post at the front desk. With a pointed huff, the boy turned away from him as if to scorn him, turning his attention to a copy of the same paper Law was reading earlier. 

“Look who finally showed up. You’re late,” Jack didn’t bother looking at Law when he stated the fact. In return, Law scowled in his direction, reeling in his temper at the boy's attitude. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.” 

Law walked to the reception desk, leaning against it casually as he looked at the young man, “really? I wasn’t notified.” Jack smirked to himself, flipping a page of his paper before smiling sarcastically at Law. 

“Really?  _ My bad _ .” 

Feeling his scowl deepen, Law moved to the back room of the clinic, ignoring Jack’s snickering. If the boy wanted to be petty, that was his problem. Law didn’t have to rise to his bait, not when he had the respect of their clients and the doctor here. He was good at biding his time, and Law knew that eventually Jack would slip past passive aggressive barbs, allowing for Law to retaliate in any way he wanted. He couldn’t very well get fired from a doctoral job, after all. It would be an affront to his pride as a medical professional, piracy aside. 

Entering the back room, Law was greeted to the sight of Doctor Williams hunched over a table of patient forms and ordering slips for different medications. The man looked stressed, that undercurrent of agitation that Law felt permeating the town exuding from the good doctor. The older man barely gave Law any acknowledgement as the pirate took a seat opposite of him, placing his sword against the table and straightening his hat. 

Williams' eyes flicked up to see Law’s presence. “Oh, Doctor Trafalgar, good morning. I thought you would be in earlier.” Law frowned at Williams’ aggravated presence. 

“There was a mix up in the communication between your apprentice and I.” 

The doctor sighed, as if suffering some great burden. “You know, I wish you two young men would just get along. You are, after all, both doctors.” 

Law almost wanted to be insulted. Jack and him, equal in the medical field? Absolutely absurd. Still, he gave no acknowledgement to the statement, taking a stack of papers to the right of Williams and began ruffling through them, separating patient forms and ordering forms while he went. There were a lot more than last week, though Law figured that was due to the field incident that happened to use up their stock of painkillers. 

Hours continued like this, with breaks coming in the form of patients needing something or another looked at. An old woman with a fractured hip who needed her medication, a young boy with a twisted ankle that needed resetting, and a young woman who wanted to check her pregnancy, which was coming along well enough. All things easily taken care of between the sludge of organizing papers and checking their stock. No surgeries, no house calls, no complications. 

_ It was dreadfully boring _ . 

Still, Law persisted, and when Jack came through the back room door with a box full of onigiri for dinner — the fact that the young man even remembered Laws dislike for bread never ceased to amuse him, despite the man’s dislike for his presence — Law was relieved. They sat together around the old table, surrounded by piles of organized papers and a small remaining mess of order forms, and ate. Small talk ensued, usually involving town gossip, and Law chose to listen with one ear while he looked over the file that needed to be submitted to the general hospital in Rubeck for a new set of operation equipment. 

“-what’s happened to those nobles is just, I’m telling ya. I don’t think they paid enough, they were the worst sort and you know it, Doc!”

“Just because they were ‘ _ the worst sort _ ’ doesn’t mean we should wish harm upon them. We are medical professionals, we made an oath to cure the sick and help the unhealthy! It’s breaking that oath to wish pain unto others like this, Jack!” 

“Yeah, well, you don’t know what nobles like them have done to people like us! In this town, you won’t find a single family who hadn’t suffered because of slavers, and those bastards are still around because of  _ snot-nosed, shriveling trash like those Donquixote’s! _ ” 

Law paused mid bite, the words processing around in his mind. 

“Donquixote’s?”

Law’s voice was small, barely above a whisper, but it cut through Williams and Jack's conversations like a steel blade. Law wasn’t sure he was completely comprehending his tone, not even paying attention to the stiffening of Jack's shoulders or the apprehension in Doctor Williams posture. All that was going through his head was that name. 

Donquixote. 

_ Donquixote.  _

Jack looked at Law with something weary in his eyes. “Yeah, those bastard nobles moved to Rubeck, apparently leaving their silk sheets and slaves for a pampered life ‘ _ among the commoners _ ’. What a fucking joke, amirite?” The words were said with hostility, like the mere presence of nobles on the other side of the island made Jack want to brandish a gun and attack. Law didn’t acknowledge that aggression at all. 

_ Donquixote.  _

Memories of blood, pain, murder, piracy, and the death of someone close to Law circled his head like the plague. Memories from his childhood, from his years as a Captain, of Dressrosa, surfaced and made him violently shiver in remembrance of his arm being  _ severed from his body. Law was hyperventilating, he could tell just by listening to his harsh gasps, the feeling of Doflamingo holding his body up like a rag doll, of being shot multiple times just like Corazon in front of the Colosseum — the crying, the blood, the broken bones —Donquixote- _

A hand startled him out of his episode, his eyes jerking up to look into Williams own. His breathing calmed, if only slightly, and Law relaxed the grip he had tightened around his right arm, right where his scar was. He hadn’t even realized he was injuring himself. 

“You alright there, Trafalgar?” 

Jack was looking at Law like he was a wild animal, and Doctor Williams looked incredibly concerned. 

It irked him.

He wasn’t fragile, he wasn’t unstable, and he most definitely wasn’t weak. With a tightened jaw, Law makes sure to speak evenly when addressing the doctor who still had a hand on his shoulder. 

“I am fine. I just happened to recognize that name.” The words seemed to calm the doctor, the apprentice scoffing at Law in the background, muttering under his breath what sounded like “looked like it was more than just simple recognition-“ before turning his back to the former pirate captain. Doctor Williams patted Law’s shoulder in solidarity, before turning back to his own seat. 

The doctor turned to look at Law, “how about you head home for the night, Doctor Trafalgar. I can always have Jack here help me with the rest of these documents?” The question was more of a statement than any signal for permission. Law knew he was being sent home because he seemed unfit for work. 

His face screwed into a scowl, but he conceded, nodding to the Doctor. Wasting no time at all, Law quickly grabbed his sword from its place against the table and pushed his hat low on his head to cover his eyes. With no further goodbyes, Law exited the back room as fast as possible, wanting to head back to the pub for a drink. He felt he deserved one. 

Donquixote. He knew that the article headline seemed familiar. It all made sense now. A memory resurfaced from his mind, suppressed and repressed with every other enjoyable experience he had with Doflamingo after he callously murdered his own brother in front of Law. 

_ “You are just like me, Law. You have hatred for the world”, Doflamingo was younger than he was at Dressrosa, wearing a wine colored suit and seeming much more relaxed and personable.  _

_ Law was just a child back then. Back then, Doffy was both his mentor and his enabler.  _

_ Law felt himself scowl, remembering how small he felt at Doflamingo’s table, studying the books he gave him. “Why are you angry?”  _

_ The question was so innocent at the time. He was curious about Doffy, so he asked. Looking back now, Law knew his question had overstepped some boundary, but little twelve year old Law couldn’t comprehend anything other than watching the world burn.  _

_ “Because, Law,” Doflamingo started, staring at Law with his dark tinted sunglasses that Law always hated, “the world took everything from me. Burned down my home, put me into ruin, and killed my sweet mother.” _

_ Doflamingo smirked at him then, before patting his head with a hand that could have easily crushed Law’s sickly body. There was affection in the action, something which caused Law to shiver looking back on the memory.  _

_ “ _ **_Wouldn’t that make you angry?_ ** _ ” _

Law gasped, leaning heavily against the wall of a random building. How had he exited the clinic? He couldn’t even remember. Had he been so consumed by a single memory that he had lost himself so much? Why was it haunting it now? He had thought he had put this all behind him, had moved on from the tormenting image of Doflamingo and Corazon, having let go of his revenge and his hatred when he had watched Doflamingo’s empire fall to the ground. 

Why was this affecting him so much? 

So what if the Donquixote’s were on the same island as him. With his luck, it wouldn’t even be Doflamingo, instead some random branch family. Then, he would have worked himself up for nothing. His actions were pathetic, losing it because of a simple name. How far gone was he, that something this ridiculous could stop him in his tracks? He was a captain, a member of the supernovas, a part of the alliance which took down  _ Kaido the Beast!  _

He was better than this. 

Law straightened himself, pushing his body into an upright position and relaxing his shoulders. His grip loosened against his sword, leaning Kikoku against his shoulder like he hadn’t used its hilt as a lifeline. Law was fine, he was always fine. He continued his walk back to the pub, more determined than ever to grab the hardest drink he could once he arrived. 

Turning down an alleyway, Law felt something small run headfirst into his body, startling him enough to pause his steps and look down. 

A young boy with blond, shaggy hair who couldn’t have been more than six had run straight into his legs. He looked panicked, desperate, like he was searching for something or someone. The impact had caused the boy to fall back onto the ground, looking up at Law with something scared and wild in his face. 

With the desperation of someone scared for their life, the boy flung himself at Law, grabbing his leg and began sobbing uncontrollably. 

“ _ Please, please! My brother, brother needs a doctor! Please! _ ”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week, I feel kind of proud! Honestly, I'm surprised I had a chapter to put up at all, I'm terrible at sticking with an idea and running with it. 
> 
> I'm of the mind that Law isn't completely over the events of Dressrosa, especially since he dedicated so much of his life to revenge against Doflamingo and living up to Corazon's memory. I like to think in the few years that Law was with the Donquixote Family, that he actually liked Doflamingo, even if he was using him. But then all of his memories of the man were soured when he grew to love Corazon and Doflamingo killed him. I just think that's an interesting concept, that Law used to care for Doflamingo like the family did, before Corazon took him away. 
> 
> As always, feel free to comment any errors, corrections, or questions!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12.29.2020

_ “Please, please! My brother, brother needs a doctor! Please!” _

The words echo, but they don’t quite register with Law as he stares down at the boy who pulls frantically at his pant leg. They were spoken in a language he couldn’t  _ quite _ understand, the noises ringing around in his head and trying to translate themselves as he stared at the young boy who sobbed and cried from his place near the ground. 

Law had never seen this boy before, had never seen him around the pub or near the clinic. He hadn’t even seen him passing in the streets, which isn’t so surprising considering the population size of Ripnuck. But he pulled so desperately at Law like he knew  _ him _ , and that struck a chord with the doctor. 

The sentences translated, finally catching up with the rest of him as the words  _ doctor _ ,  _ brother _ , and  _ needs _ made their way through Law’s vocabulary. He couldn’t quite place the language, but it sounded like the dialect that stemmed from the grand line. Law wasn’t as familiar with the root dialect as he would like, but he had heard and learned just enough to know that the boy needed a doctor, most likely for his brother. From the looks of his despair, it didn’t seem the boy was a native Creole speaker either. Given his running and the tears that streamed down already cemented water lines, he wasn’t the first person the boy had ran to and asked. 

The man looked at the child with mild concern and a hearty amount of determination, before kneeling down to the boy's eye level before speaking in Common. 

“Take me to him.” 

The boy seemed to understand, his eyes widening behind his curtain bangs before he grabbed a hold of Law’s jacket sleeve and began to pull in the direction of the off-shoot alley that connected to the walking path they were on. 

Law let himself be led, listening to the boy's sobs as he tried to run as fast as his little legs could carry him while holding onto the pirate. The boy's cries gave him an uneasy feeling, like someone had taken a knife and twisted it through his heart. It made him weary, and a bit irritated. He had never had a reaction like this to a child, usually he was indifferent to toddlers and young children. His history with children was always terrible, with either them being scared of his profession or his disposition. He had never had to deal with a young kid desperately vying for his help, not like this. He and his crew didn’t have a reputation like the Straw Hats, they weren’t notorious for freeing subjugated people or liberating the oppressed. If anything, they were known for tearing apart marines and leaving fellow crews destroyed in their wake. Children typically didn’t like being associated with him and his. So, the actions of this boy unnerved him. 

It didn’t help that the boy looked familiar and spoke a familiar dialect. He still couldn’t place the language origin, but Law  _ knew _ that he had heard it somewhere before. He was even certain he  _ spoke _ some of the language. It’s pronunciation and sentence structure was on the tip of his tongue, but no sooner than he could contemplate it, did the boy drag him down a dead end alley toward what looked to be a small corpse. 

The boy dropped his sleeve, opting to run to the small body that laid passed out against the stone floor next to a heap of garbage. The boy's cries began to come out even harder, a feat Law was sure was impossible, as he tried to shake what looked to be a dead body. Law approached the duo slowly, making no sudden movements as he took note of the situation. 

There had definitely been a struggle here, that much was certain. A few boxes that were stacked against the alley wall had been broken, looking to have been smashed with either a small object or a blunt weapon. There were small splatters of blood littering the alley floor, staring at the concrete and stone in a way that spoke of a brutal beating. Against the wall, there was a slew of garbage sprayed out against the streets, as if it were kicked around or used as a weapon. Law felt his eyes trail to the small body, currently being shaken by the boy with long bangs that went past his eyes. 

He looked wrecked. 

His body was bruised and beaten, even from what Law could see from his place meters away. His back was turned to Law, but the shirt he wore was torn beyond repair, showing welts and cuts along his shoulder blades and lower spine that spoke of purposeful abuse. A small pool of blood was gathering underneath the boy's brother, as if to accentuate the severity of his wounds. Law mildly wondered if the boy was even alive as he took a few steps closer, eyes on the pair of boys who were in need of his help. 

Approaching the couple, Law felt dread grip his chest, as if some higher power was telling him to turn around. Law didn’t know why he felt that way, only that he felt a cold, icy feeling grabbing onto his very soul, almost forcing him to stop and reconsider what he was doing. He couldn’t explain it, it was just...  _ a feeling. _

A feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. 

Law pushed on, his feet reaching the small boy who desperately nudged his brother, trying to rouse a response. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder —  _ he was so thin _ — Law startled the child, causing him to look up at him with wide eyes and a desperate, wild look set in his expression. 

“ _ Help him! _ ” 

Law's eyes trailed down to the other boy, planning to assess the danger before using a room to stabilize him, only to stop in his tracks. 

Glasses. The boy had  _ sunglasses _ . 

Blond hair, sharp face, expensive ruined clothes,  _ sunglasses _ . 

“ _ You have to help him! _ ”

He looked just like  _ Doflamingo _ .

Law couldn’t feel himself move. He didn’t register the feeling of small hands pushing against him as he launched on instinct. Hands wrapped around a tiny throat, squeezing, suffocating,  _ stamping out the man who had taken everything from him, who cursed him, who severed his arm, who made him into a monster just like him- _

“ _ No! What are you doing, stop it! Brother! Let go of my brother! _ ”

As if snapped out of a trance, Law let go of the boy's neck like it was burning, stumbling back into a fall. Breathing was ragged and heavy, and his stress levels were through the roof, as he stared at the young boy who caused him to blank into a rage. Law moved to stare at his hands, eyes flickering between his tattooed digits and the two kids, one of which he had just  _ almost murdered, what was wrong with him, why was he being so irrational, the kid looked just like Doffy- _

Oh... the other kid was crying even harder now. 

Law wasn’t sure what was going through his head. His thoughts were jumbled, his actions were a mess, and it was the second time that day that he had experienced a panic attack brought on by the memory of Doflamingo, a man who wasn’t  _ even here _ . 

That he wasn’t the man who tormented his mind for over a decade. That kind of coincidence was impossible. 

What that kid was, was injured. He needed a doctor. 

_ Law was a doctor.  _

His body moved on autopilot then, falling back on his medical practice and experience, as he properly assessed the boy's wounds. Lashes, blunt bruises, lacerations, and what looked to be rope burn. All of it was treatable, at least with the proper skill and equipment. It was a great thing that Law, no matter his current mental state, was an incredibly competent doctor. 

Ignoring the terrified look on the young blonde boy, Law grabbed the heavily injured child and stood to a stand. The boy desperately grabbed onto Law, whispering frantic words that Law was sure were “ _ don’t hurt us, please, brother needs a doctor _ ”, to which Law looked at the boy with what was supposed to be a comforting smile. 

“I won’t hurt you”, Law paused, considering the panicked and terrified boy in front of him, “I  _ am _ a doctor.” 

His Common was filled with emotion, slightly heavy on his tongue, and he was pretty sure his smile looked more like a grimace. But the younger boy calmed slightly, as if understanding his intent despite his expression and disposition. Despite the fact that he had just tried to choke out a kid who couldn’t be more than eight years old. 

God, he was  _ such a mess _ .

The boy nodded, hesitating for only long enough to stare desperately at his brother once more, looking more determined than a minute ago. His grip on Law’s pants tightened, and Law took that as permission to get the boys out of there. Law knew, reasonably, that he should have gone to the clinic, but the boy's wounds were terrible enough that time was a huge concern and they were too far away for the jump, even with his large range. So, the only option was the inn and his meager supply of bandages, alcohol, and pain killers. A lesser doctor would have balked at the challenge, but Law knew it was an easy fix even with those pathetic supplies. 

The kid wouldn’t die. Even though he reminded Law of someone Law would rather see dead. 

A large room was formed, enveloping his body and the next three blocks easily. The coloration of the air changed to a cool blue, a color that would have been barely noticeable to the average person unless they were looking for it. His room had always reminded Law of tinted glasses — as if by activating it, the world was suddenly colored just a tad cooler. It had been a while since Law had used his Devil fruit, the influx of information almost making him pause at the twinge of pain in his temple. But Law found where he wanted to go, easily locating his room from the pub not even two blocks south. A quick shambles with a discarded piece of clothing on the floor of his room had both him and his two patients in the sanctity of a small bedroom. 

There was an audible thud, which Law realized had to be the smaller child who hadn’t landed with the grace of a seasoned fruit user. The loud yelp was almost enough to make the man laugh, if it weren’t for the heavily injured kid still on his arms that took priority. Law was reminded of his mission pretty quick, easily sweeping across the room and placing the unconscious child on his old threadbare sheets, adrenaline unusually high for an operation like this. Law blamed his wavering mindset on the appearance of the child, his conscious thought not being able to look past the similarities between the child and his longtime enemy. 

_ This was such a mess.  _

Law went to work, hurrying around the room and setting up his power to envelope the small suite. Bandages were taken from their spot in the desk drawer, a small bottle of purified alcohol that he had pilfered from the clinic being set on the table, and a pair of surgical scalpels were in hand. Law noticed in the corner of his eye the small boy still sitting in the center of his bedroom looking at him in fear and fascination, like the free use of his powers was like that of a circus show. He supposed it was rather interesting, the kid probably hadn’t seen something like this ever before with fruit users being so few and far between in any of the blues. He carefully avoided the boy as he rushed around the room and summoned supplies at his whim, before finally setting to stand next to the blond boy laying in his bed. 

Using a scalpel, Law carefully removed the boy's ruined clothes, taking note of each injury as he lifted the fabric and tossed it to the side. His activated room, much smaller in size than the first one he used to transport their small group, gave him information on the boys temperature and ailments —  _ 101.3 Fahrenheit, 38.5 Celsius, major laceration to the back and torso area, bruising around the neck and ribs, a minor fraction in the foot, and a mild concussion, most likely the cause of blunt force trauma  _ — which deepened his frown as his hands moved to see what he could fix and what would have to heal on its own. Most of the boys bruising was beginning to take a sickly yellow coloration, especially around his chest and neck. Law winced at that, taking the alcohol in hand and cleaning out the open wounds to prevent infection. The fact that he added at all to the boys injuries, even in his confused state, was a harsh pill to swallow. 

Law took some stitching from his small supply and began to sew closed the worst open wound on the boys back, after flipping him over rather swiftly by manipulating his operation room. At some point during the long process of pushing the needle in and out of the boy's skin, the patient's younger brother had moved from his spot on the floor, coming to stand on the other side of the bed out of Law’s way. Law sensed his nervousness even as he worked, knowing the boy was way out of his depth and beyond scared, even now. He had to give credit where credit was due, the kid was taking this entire process better than he was. 

Finally finishing up his stitching, Law moved the boy into an upright position. It was harder due to the boy's unconsciousness, but he stabilized him against the wall as best he could while he manipulated the bandages to replace the needle and thread in his hand. He wrapped the young child with the efficiency of a practice doctor, before moving to flip the boy back over onto his back, taking a look at the boy's torso again. 

After the wounds were cleansed, the blood was wiped away, and the boys dirty clothing was taken, he looked so... young. No sunglasses to obscure his face, making him look like Law’s sworn enemy, no fluids scattered against his face and body obscuring just how tiny the boy actually was. It was like he was just a boy... 

_ He was just a boy.  _

Law felt cool rage take a hold of his heart, as he looked at the  _ child _ . Because that was what the boy was, just a child. A child who had just been put through a traumatic and dangerous experience, who almost looked death straight in the eyes and only lived because Law had ran into the boy's younger brother, who desperately cried out for help in a language only he could barely comprehend. 

What would have happened to him if Law hadn’t been there? Would he have died, alone in that alleyway as his younger brother searched aimlessly for someone who could save him? They were obviously foreigners, just like him. Where were there parents? Their guardians? Why were they so beat up? Sure, he had saved this kids life today, but why were they like this in the first place? 

Who would do this to a _ kid? _

Law felt a tug on his arm, breaking his inner monologue, forcing him to pry his eye from his sleeping patient. His eyes trailed to look at the young boy with shaggy blond hair who looked up at him with scared, but grateful eyes. 

“ _ Thank you... _ ”

It broke Law out of his stupor, kicking his body into high gear. He didn’t just have one patient, he had two. The other boy was injured as well, he could tell by the way he was trying to hold himself high, like he was in pain. They were by no means as dangerous to the boys life as his brothers were, but he would be damned if he didn’t treat this kid too. He was a doctor, after all, dangerous pirate or no. 

Law nodded in the boys direction, speaking slowly in common as he made his way to a chair in the corner of the room, “come on, let’s get you looked at as well.” 

The boy stared at him for a few moments, most likely trying to comprehend what Law was saying. Law had been doing the same with the boy, using context clues and his limited knowledge on the boy's language syntax to make sense of what he was saying, so he let the boy process his order before making a motion for him to come over there. 

It was an awkward few minutes of cleaning small cuts with what was left of Laws purified liquor and wrapping the boy in bandages to avoid infections. The kid luckily didn’t have any large wounds that needed stitching, but according to Laws ability, he did sustain a mild concussion and multiple bruises along his upper body, most likely from blunt objects. The kid had no fever, a fact Law thanked the heavens for because he was sure he did not have enough pain medication for the both of them, and would heal in a week or two so long as he kept his open wounds covered during that time. The procedure was much less stressful, which Law was grateful for, letting himself sink into the familiar rhythm of dressing wounds and checking his patients. 

With a tired sigh, Law finished up and dispersed his operation room, the warm colors of the world bleeding back into existence. He covered his eyes with his hands and let out a tired grunt, watching idly through his fingers at the younger brother's feeble attempts to rub his eyes as his sight changed to accommodate the difference. Forcing himself to a standing position, Law moved to the bed and covered the still unconscious older brother with his available thin blanket, before tossing the other kid a spare shirt. 

“Go ahead and wear this, your clothes are ruined as they are now. This will keep you warm.” 

The boy nodded slowly, indicating he understood as he threw one of Law’s feather lined sweaters over his head, covering the bandages that Law had just spent the last half hour wrapping, leaving only a few around the boy's neck peeling out from the top. The kid was swimming in Law’s sweater, it’s sleeves going well past his hands and the bottom of the sweater reaching the child’s knees. But the kid seemed to sink into the clothes, a pleasant expression overtaking the undercurrent of discomfort he had been wearing since Law had begun dressing his wounds. 

With an uncertain look in Law’s direction, the boy nodded his thanks, opening his mouth as if to speak before closing it quickly. He looked so uncertain and conflicted, at least as much as Law could see with his eyes being covered by the boys bangs. 

Law sighed, kneeling down in front of the kid, before trying to speak in what he hoped was a calming tone, “your brother is safe now. He’s just resting, and will continue to do so until he’s meant to wake up,” a hand was placed on the boys shoulder gently, “He’s okay now.” 

He really wasn’t good at this comforting thing. There weren’t many references to gentle behavior in adults since he was a child, and even then they were rare. The attempt that Law tried was a bit stiff and had a hearty amount of awkwardness, but it was an attempt. Law was trying to help this scared child, which was out of character for him already, but what kind of man would Corazon see if he didn’t try to reassure a young boy that his older brother was alright. 

The kid began to well-up, tears glinting his eyes again. “ _ Th-thank you! _ ” Law honestly couldn’t understand the words, as slurred as they were, but he nodded anyways as he stood. He tried not to make it too obvious that he was extremely uncomfortable with a grateful child bawling in the middle of his bedroom. So, Law ignored the boy, and gestured toward the door. 

“I’ll return. I’m going to be getting some food and bringing some back for your brother and you. Stay here.” 

With little else, Law swept out of the room, exiting as quickly as he could without making the boy think he was abandoning them. 

What kind of mess had he gotten himself into? Two injured kids in his room, wounds made purposefully by the looks of it, with barely any way to communicate if it weren’t for some rudimentary understanding of grand line slang. Law was just thankful that the boy at least understood Common, even if he didn’t speak it. Still, the language itself was suspicious. Why would a boy in this part of the North Blue know anything other than Creole? Not to mention a warped dialect that seemed to be from the grand line. Not to mention an extremely familiar grand line dialect. Law just couldn’t place where he had heard it from before, the accent and the pronunciation ringing alarms through his brain once he had a minute to stop and think about it. 

Everything about those two kids rang alarm bells around his mind. 

First the language, then the wounds, finally their appearances. Those sunglasses plastered to the older brother's face had sent him into a  _ panic attack _ , for the sea's sake! 

_ (“Yeah, those bastard nobles moved to Rubeck, apparently leaving their silk sheets and slaves for a pampered life ‘ among the commoners ’. What a fucking joke, amirite?”) _

Why was he remembering those words now of all times? 

_ (“You have to help him!”) _

Law held his head as he leaned against the shut door behind him. He needed to pull himself together. That wasn’t Doflamingo, that was just a kid. There was no way it  _ could _ be Doflamingo, that would be the biggest coincidence in the history of the world! Even if the Donquixote’s that are on this island are a part of the same branch family as Doflamingo and Corazon, they wouldn’t have let their children wander across the island alone to get seriously injured. It was improbable and ridiculous! Law couldn’t associate the memories he had, of two giants in a world of small children and sickness, with those two kids who barely reached his waist. The older brother barely looked like the warlord of his past, a resemblance that was kicked off by a pair of sunglasses of all things! Sure, the younger kid had Corazon’s blond hair, but the similarities were stopped there. There was none of Corazon’s clumsiness, none of his bright smiles, none of his silent confidence. The older one, when you looked past the small physical commonality, held none of Doflamingo’s harshness or anger. Not when he was so helpless, unconscious and wounded on Law’s ratty bed and in need of serious medical attention. 

He couldn’t see it; he  _ refused _ to hold onto that fantasy. 

It was all just in his head. It was  _ impossible _ . 

Making his way to the kitchen downstairs, Law tried to straighten himself up. He knew he must have looked like a mess to anyone passing by, hair rumpled and clothing wrinkled. He was fairly sure there was even blood on his jacket, something he’d have to rectify when given the chance. The best he could do was run a hand through his hair and hope that not too many people would pry. It would get awkward if he admitted to practically kidnapping two children, even if he was being a Good Samaritan by doing so. 

Entering the kitchen, Law ran into another resident and Angel, who by the looks of it was taking a small break from attending to the bar. The other resident, the woman he hadn’t had the care to talk to or learn her name, gave him a small, shy nod before turning back to her task of what looked to be peeling potato skins. Angel, on the other hand, had less subtle means of greeting. 

“Trafalgar! I hadn’t seen ya come in yet, what a surprise. Too proud to give a beautiful lass a greeting?” The smile Angel gave Law was a breath of fresh air after the last few stressful hours of his life. Law was tempted to smile back, but refrained, knowing just how out of character a genuine smile was for him. Still, he nodded his head in her direction, not wishing to feel rude. It wouldn’t be good to let Angel know about his two injured guests, at least not until Law could return them to their parents, wherever that may be. 

Law shook his head at the barkeep's jab, picking up a few apples and placing them in a small carrier, along with a good portion of dried meat and a few onigiri. After a minute of thought, Law moved to place a loaf of bread with his selection, earning a bewildered look from Angel. He knew just how out of character he was being, but his own dislike and disgust with wheat could be set aside for the sake of putting some filling foods into those thin boys. 

Angel eyes his selection with some suspicion before speaking again, “that’s a mighty bit of food there, Trafalgar. Ya gonna be eating that all on yer own?” 

Law gave Angel a look, his eyes narrowing in her direction, before turning to head back to his room. “I am a bit more famished than usual, Una-ya. Surely, you wouldn’t want me to go hungry?” He let himself have a small smirk that upturned just the corner of his lips. Moving up the stairs once more, Law heard the standard reply —  _ “It’s Angel!” _ — from behind and chose to ignore it, making his way back to his room. 

Entering was the same as leaving — quick and efficient. The younger brother had moved from his spot, choosing to now sit against the bed his older brother rested on. Law made sure to be quiet, not wishing to startle the boy, and set the food he acquired on the available table. He really needed to clean up the slew of medical equipment scattered on the desk. Speaking in common once more, Law waved the younger boy over. 

“Come eat. You need your strength”. 

The boy, looking up from his position startled, made his way over to Law and the food the doctor had procured. The boy looked absolutely stunned that Law would be offering it to him, like he had completely forgotten that Law had made it clear he was going to get food for  _ him _ . It was sad, in a way. How the child’s eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect of something as simple as food. 

Law grabbed an onigiri and took a bite, watching as the boy snagged a piece of jerky and looked at it like it was his greatest treasure. It made Law... feel uneasy and uncomfortable. He did not like the idea that this child was starving or hungry. Since when had he become such a bleeding heart. 

The boy took a bite, savoring the protein for only a moment before Law watched as he devoured the piece of meat after his initial hesitancy with mild fascination. Two more pieces were grabbed from their plate, before being unceremoniously shoveled into the young boy's mouth. Law wondered how long the child had been starving, and for how long he had gone without something as fresh as this. It wasn’t the first time that the pirate had looked at the kid and felt anger at the situation, an unglued feeling of sympathy and righteousness exuding off of Law. No kid should be this desperate for food. Not when he was as young as he was. 

Shaking his head of his thoughts, Law focused on his own meal, taking another bite of his onigiri. It wouldn’t do to dwell on a child’s situation when all Law would do about it now would be to bring the brothers back home and wipe his hands of this entire experience. Law couldn’t afford to get emotionally invested in a couple of kids, patients or not. 

He needed to focus on getting his life together, getting himself to the grand line and out of Ripnuck as fast as possible. Or at least within the next few years. Distractions were a waste of time, and these kids were definitely distractions. He didn’t even know who these children are.

A part of him didn’t want to find out. 

In retrospect, that part of him was immature, actively trying to avoid his conflicting feelings for the children instead of facing them head-on by wiping his fears clean with a simple question. But something in the back of Law’s mind didn’t want to ask, because he was scared of the answer he may receive. 

No matter how much he tried to reason with himself, no matter how hard he tried to insist, thoughts of Corazon and Doflamingo had been plaguing him since these two children had crossed his path. 

Law wasn’t a superstitious man, not by a long shot. He had a healthy respect for the sea, with all her powerful glory, and a hefty amount of suspicion towards the origins of some of the crazier powers that existed in the world, but Law wouldn’t consider himself religious. But Law was raised in a religious community. Nuns and men of faith had taught him from a young age, and even his love of science and medicine couldn’t stamp out the religious rhetoric he consumed as a child. As he grew older, faith in a higher being had always seemed more cruel than comforting, but that deep seeded fear never really left him, so Law learned to trust feelings and signs, even when logic and reason told him otherwise. 

He had followed his gut on Punk Hazard when making that Alliance with Straw Hat Luffy, and he had followed his gut during the most crucial moments of their fight with Kaido the Beast. Feelings and signs were almost always right, and he had been feeling too much dread and familiarity among these two children. 

And just like all those other times during this night that feelings and signs had begun to come together, Law pushed them all back and shut them all down. 

It was impossible. 

Sunglasses or no. 

Law pulled himself together, gathered his courage, and turned to face the boy after swallowing a mouthful of onigiri. What use was being scared of a child? What use was it avoiding a simple question because of a feeling that you couldn’t even quite explain? Why was he holding onto such negative impressions when he knew full well that, logically, there was no possible way that he was as unlucky as to invoke the Donquixote’s in these two  _ kids?  _

“Where do you live?”

Law just couldn’t ask. Shame filled his being as he looked at the boy, his expression giving absolutely nothing away. Why was he so nervous, afraid of the answer he might get? He was a disgrace to piracy, a joke of a supernova, and worst of all he continued to let himself be plagued by things which couldn’t exist- did not exist- were  _ going  _ to exist. This entire situation was just contributing to his migraine at this point. 

He couldn’t even ask for a name. 

The boy paused mid bite to look at Law, slowly comprehending the question. Searching his face for some sort of answer that Law was sure he wouldn’t find, the boy set down the piece of dried meat and stared. It was a long, daunting moment. Law wasn’t sure why his simple question got such a deep and considering response from the boy, who just sat there deep in thought. For a few long moments, Law wondered if the boy hadn’t understood him, and was preparing to ask again when the boy set down his jerky and opened his mouth. Only to close it again, and take a considerate look at the boy unconscious in the bed. 

There was another minute of staring, the boy's eyes darting back and forth between his sleeping brother and Law. He looked so conflicted that Law didn’t bother repeating his question, his own thoughts gripping him and shoving his insecurities and fears to light. If this silence continued on for much longer, Law might just make himself busy by cleaning his small suite. It was almost too uncomfortable. 

The boy opened his mouth again, this time letting words form in his strange language, “ _ we-... we live in the forest, pass the fields and near the garbage dump _ .” 

Law took a minute to try and locate that area in his head, trying to remember just where that was according to the main paths. Taking a look to his small window, Law realized that the sun had long since set, making the trek out of those outskirts much more ideal when the sun was up. But Law knew he couldn’t keep these two kids in his room. They needed their parents and a proper resting place that didn’t consist of Law’s worn threadbare sheets. So, the man turned to the boy and without much preamble, nodded his head in understanding. 

“Finish up your food. We’ll get you two home before midnight”, Law tried to give a smile at the small child, “your parents must be worried.” 

The boy's bright grin he received in response was the first time Law had been reminded of Corazon when looking at the kid. It clenched his heart and made him ache at the passing image of a larger than life man in ridiculous makeup telling Law that he loved him. So, Law turned away from the child and his grin, putting that smile from his mind and shoving the rest of his onigiri in his mouth as he stubbornly chewed. 

They had a plan, at least. 

* * *

After their food was consumed in silence — in which Law brooded over his inability to communicate with a small child — the doctor had to scrounge around his meager room for a bag he could use, determined to send these kids home with enough food for at  _ least _ another meal. In the end, he had settled on a small, ratty messenger bag that another resident had thrown into his room sometime during his stay. He had no other reason to use another man’s garbage, after all, and this was a better use than tossing it into the closest desk drawer, forgetting about it entirely. 

Law wanted to get going. Already, the bar was winding down from the lowering volume of noise exuding from below the suite, which meant that the other residents, including the ever inquisitive Angel, will be heading to their own rooms. This meant that Law’s half-baked plan to escort the two boys to their home had a higher likelihood of being delayed or stopped by an outside force. 

Angel was known for picking up strays, himself included. Showing these children to her would guarantee their prolonged stay, and Law just couldn’t have that. He was uncomfortable as it was with just these children’s presence, and he wanted this entire situation sorted as fast as possible. 

As much as Law didn’t like the feelings looking at those boys brought him, they were his responsibility — as a doctor, Law was duty bound to make sure they remained safe. Call him selfish, but his good-intentions could only force him to act on so much. Having to stare at the unconscious boy who reminded him so much of Doflamingo, dreading knowing the name of the younger brother because of a smile that raised an alarm in his mind that screamed  _ Corazon _ ... Law just couldn’t handle another night of that. He was emotionally compromised as it was, he didn’t need more complications. 

Food stuffs were thrown into the bag carefully, with Law placing what remained of the dried meat, fruit, and bread in an organized pile that didn’t quite fit the satchels shape. Throwing the bag itself at the younger brother, who had gone back to staring at Law with weariness that was somewhat fading and something that wasn’t quite admiration, Law turned to the unconscious older boy and assessed how he was going to carry the injured kid back to his home. 

The boy, despite the childish features and puffy roundness that outed his age, was definitely taller than most children under the age of ten. The other boy was the same, but Law wouldn’t have to carry the younger brother if he wanted to get this mission over and done with. Without those sunglasses to block the most noticeable fat around his cheekbones, the boy was almost delicate. Law knew that he wouldn’t be able to comfortably carry the boy in his arms, not like how the two behemoths of his childhood carried him as a sickly teenager.

Nodding to himself upon deciding his course of action, Law carefully picked the boy up and erected a room around them. It took some finagling, but eventually Law settled the unconscious boy on his back, Law's arms tucked securely under the boy's legs while the kid's arms dangled around Law’s neck. As precise as Law was with his movements, he knew the boy would be experiencing some pain at the waking position, but it was the best he could do with what he was working with. Using the operation room to grab his sword and the boys sunglasses, which laid harmlessly on the tabletop regardless of their role in Laws mental anguish, Law turned to the other boy who watched the entire exchange with undisguised fascination. 

At least it wasn’t fear. 

“ _ How... do you do that? _ ” The words startled Law, causing him to slightly stumble while he made his way around the room, picking up odds and ends as best he could with an unconscious boy on his back. Law looked to the younger boy, an inquisitive look telling him to clarify or elaborate without the use of words. “ _ I mean... the blue... the blue thing you do. You move things around without touching them, and in the alley you- you teleported us away! _ ” 

The young boy looked at Law expectantly, urging him to answer with his eyes, which brightly peaked through his bangs. It was the most lively Law had ever seen the kid. Which, considering their situation, isn’t entirely surprising. 

While a few words were lost in translation due to the child’s stuttering and excitement, Law understood what was being asked of him. He really wasn’t surprised at the inquiry. Law had actively used these powers during this evening to save the boy's brother from near death, using it for frivolous actions like adjusting his sword or even moving around quickly. The question was bound to come up, and Law briefly wondered if lying would be the best option. 

The doctor dismissed that notion, and turned halfway to face the boy more properly, his shoulder and arms adjusting to accommodate his sword-kid balancing act. “I’m a user of a Devil fruit which allows for the creation of an “operation” room I can control.” The name of his fruit was neglected purposefully and Law figured that brief explanation would be enough to satisfy the boy who looked at him so intently.

The boy was in no way satisfied, that much was clear from his gaping mouth and burning expression. So, Law turned away, intending to ignore any further investigative action by the younger brother. 

No further questions came, however. As if reading Law’s discomfort, the child stayed silent despite their obvious curiosity. Law could read the intent in the boys body language, he knew that he wanted to talk further. But whether it be out of propriety or awareness, there was no further probing. Leaving the talks behind him, Law moved to bolt his suite door before staggering to the window, preparing his powers to expand in order to get them out in the open and close to finishing this night. 

Law looked over his shoulder, being mindful of the unconscious child on his back, before calling out to the smaller kid holding the food satchel. “Hurry over here, we are preparing to leave.”

There was very little hesitance in the younger brothers' steps, as if over the course of the night the child had grown accustomed to Law’s gruff demeanor and standoffish personality. Moving to grip at his pant legs, much like he did earlier in the night, the boy nodded up at Law in response to Law’s raised eyebrow at the action. 

Erecting the operation room took more than a little effort after the long and arduous evening Law had just gone through. Still, he did it, with his range encapsulating little over two blocks of people, closed shops, and dirty streets. His fingers flick while his hands hold steadfast to the unconscious brother, and suddenly Law and his charges find themselves in the back alley just two shops down from Angel’s popular pub. 

A sigh of relief escaped Law, and after a quick adjustment of his package and assuring himself that no, the kids weren’t injured further and yes, it was incredibly dark, Law made a motion for the smaller brother to stay close to him. “Follow close behind and don’t stray. I will be leading us to the forest edge, and from there you will need to tell me which path to your home.” There was a shift next to Law, which with a quick glance showed the small boy nodded resolutely. 

The trip to the forest edge was surprisingly short, in comparison to the long and stressful evening that had preceded it. Within the hour, Law and his charges had trekked out of town and down a gravel path which led in the direction of the main roads used on the island for transport. They had left the town proper not even a half hour ago, with Law’s eyes adjusting to the shifting dark of the night the further along they went, when the young boy walking next to Law, still clutching his cloths, tugged on his pant leg to get Law’s attention. 

“ _ We have to go left here. _ ” The small boy pointed in the direction he was indicating. Law could faintly make out a beaten dirt road and what looked to be a popular garbage dump, a few scattered shacks with lit windows seen through the night. With a glance, Law saw they were surrounded by rocky fields and hills, with scattered trees and farming lands littered about. In the dark, there were no details to be made out, but he knew they were quite literally in the middle of nowhere. 

Inclining his head, law gave a quick “let’s go” before he treaded towards those sparse buildings and threw trash. The entire area was sad, lit by moonlight and covered with the stench of sickness and poverty. He hadn’t seen such poor living conditions since he had lived in Spider Miles, the port town filled to the brim with garbage of all kids — people included. 

Except this time there were no gangs on this side of the isle, no family warfare, and certainly no pirates this far inland. No, what followed the people who occupied this dump just outside of civilization was slavers, bandits, and starvation. Law was beginning to see a clearer picture as they walked, dodging piles of thrown furniture and wood. Those boys, in town beaten half to death and showing signs of early malnourishment, gave a grim picture of their lives in this slum. Who knows how long they have been here, scrounging for scraps of food and trying to survive by any means necessary. Law remembered killing men in his youth after the fall of Flevence just to steal some fresh fruit. He remembered killing for less during that time of his life, actually. 

With a slight tug, the boy at his feet moved him along a side path that wasn’t even properly paved. It seemed rarely used and barely visible, even if the area was lit by the sun rather than the moon. Still, Law let the boy lead him, adjusting his grip on the boy's older brother as they went along, intending to reach the children’s home soon. 

It took much longer to get to an opening on this beaten and overgrown path than it took to get out of the town of Ripnuck. Nearly an hour they had been walking, entering dense woods with barely any light to see their feet in front of them. A few times, the boy young walking next to him had stopped and gotten his bearings, before moving on along the path. Law made sure to remember it, knowing he would need to come back this way to make it into town and back to the comfort of his boarding room. It took nearly one full hour to reach a clearing once they had entered thick foliage, and upon exiting the woods to come across a hill lit by the moon, Law could make out in the distance a single shack with a lit window. 

Apparently, The boy saw it too, gasping in surprise and letting go of Law’s pant leg, rushing forward in the direction of the rundown shack Law could barely see. The boy comically stripped while his small legs had tried to run up the hill, landing flat on his face. It made Law blink, it being the first time he had seen the boy that clumsy. The child had actually seemed rather meticulous to Law, being careful to watch his every move around what the boy perceived to be a dangerous stranger. Feeling a small lift of his mouth, Law smirked at the joy as he shakily rose, rubbing his nose with what seemed to be a pout. Though it was a bit too dark to be sure. 

“Be careful,” Law called out to the kid, not wanting a repeat of the incident so close to getting the two children to their home, “we don’t want any accident.” 

The boy nodded, and at a much more sedated pace, treaded up the hill with Law following close behind, the boy's older brother still fast asleep against Law’s back. Law wasn’t sure why the boy's sudden clumsiness made him picture an older man in ridiculous makeup tripping over his own feet, trying to make Law laugh when he was just too  _ exhausted _ to. Feelings he didn’t want to contemplate filled his chest, making him catch his breath as he gazed at the boy in front of him through the night. Shaking himself from his thoughts, reasoning that he was just tired, that he was just extremely stressed, and the boy was no one important. Just an injured, hungry kid with an even more injured older brother being brought back to their probably poverty-ridden parents who let them leave their home unsupervised despite them being children. The boy wasn’t Corazon. 

That shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. The irresponsibility of those children’s guardians, the fact that no matter where he looked he was constantly haunted by ghosts that should have stayed long dead, the bursting dread in his heart that reared its ugly head every time he looked at the older brother or caught the younger doing something familiar. That should be a master of his emotions, he had been for years. Keeping others at a distance, controlling his impulses, keeping his head clear and impartial during decision making, Law used to be an expert at that. Rationality and planning, he excelled at these things. Then, Jack threw an article in his face and he had spent the entire evening saving a boy's life and spending time with another, seeing the faces of a dead-man and a monster beneath baby fat and large, round eyes. He knew, logically, that the likelihood of Law meeting any version of Corazon or Doflamingo was extremely low, even being in the same sea as them. Donquixote was a famous name, a name of a rather large noble family, and by no means exclusive to two brothers. These children looked nothing like the monster who towered over Law or the memory from a decade ago of a man telling Law he loved him. They weren’t the ghosts Law was haunted by. He was being irrational, something he knew he wasn’t usually, and something he hated being. He was better than this. 

He had to be better than this. 

Shaking himself from his thoughts, his eyes darted to the boy resting on his back. So innocent and angelic, when passed out. A soft face with round features and the beginning of a strong jaw. All Law saw when he looked at the boy was a child. His gaze moved to the bandages, blurred by the dark surrounding them, and narrowed his eyes. 

Just an injured child. 

Looking pointedly away, Law began his tread up the hill, his pondering having left him a few meters behind the younger boy who bound up the grass to the lit shack. It took barely any time to get there, Law’s long legs carried him despite the extra weight, and standing in front of the small hovel Law noticed just how poor it was. 

Run down, beaten, and barely holding together, it stood on a hilltop surrounded by the ruins of a barn and a meager attempt at a garden. Moonlight did little to illuminate the home, but from what little Law could see he surmised that he would have better living accommodations in a hollowed cave. Still, he wasn’t one to judge, especially when it had a working roof and four functional walls. 

He’d lived in worse himself, both as a homeless child and as a homeless teen with the beginnings of a crew. 

Law walked up to the door, seeing the young boy who rushed ahead of him looking expectantly at Law while he waited patiently just left of the entrance, hesitating to enter. The kid looked up at Law, eyes flickering to his brother and back to the doctor who had escorted him here, and opened his mouth. 

“. _.. Thank you... _ ” 

The words cut through the aid, but Law did little to acknowledge them, other than to give a slight nod in the boy's direction. With an easy stride, Law made it to the door, and with little fanfare, gave a knock to the worn door. The sound echoed in the air for a long moment, cutting through the soft wind that had begun to pierce through the night. There was shuffling on the other side of the door, hushed voices talking back and forth, so quiet Law could not make them out. There was more shuffling, a pound crash, and then stark silence. Waiting a few more moments, Law knocked again, this time electing to speak as he did so. 

“Come to the door. I am from the town about an hour's travel from this area, I was led here by a boy”, Law paused, considering his next words before continuing, “his brother and him were injured in the town. Their wounds are treated, and I have brought them back here-“

There was little time wasted after that, the door yanking itself open with no small amount of force, making Law’s hand pause midair in mild surprise. In the doorway looking pained and panicked was a  _ tall _ man, reaching feet above Law in height, but with a look about him that gave off harmlessness. Blond, an odd hairstyle, torn and worn clothes, and a slowly decaying figure. There were signs of poverty, but they seemed... fresh, like the man was still getting used to small meals and dirty water. Law furrowed his brows, his arms adjusting to accommodate the child on his back while his gaze held the man’s. There was an obvious panic in the man’s features. If Law had to take a guess, he would say the blond giant was the father of the two boys. There was little time for Law to process the appearance of the man, however, as the boy who had been his charge launched himself at the man in the doorway, embracing him tightly with a yell of what Law assumed to be his language word for father. 

For a few seconds, the child uselessly babbled so fast Law could barely make it out, using easily recognized words as “ _ fight _ ”, “ _ doctor _ ”, “ _ injury _ ”, and “ _ help _ ”. Law vaguely guessed the boy was recapping their little evening adventure as fast as he could while latching onto the man who answered the door. 

A man who was now blubbering tears of joy. 

“ _ Oh my boy, my boy, you are safe- thank goodness you are safe- _ “ the man hugged his child, which was a fact Law was now certain of, and cried softly. The moment felt personally and private, making Law vaguely uncomfortable with being present for its duration. A parent's love... Law hadn’t experienced that in so long. His own family he remembers little of. In recent years, he had begun to forget his mother’s voice, or his fathers face, or his sisters' laugh. Corazon, while he would always be a conscious presence in his life, was over a decade gone and was beginning to fade in vibrancy as well. Little things like the certain inflections he used when speaking, or which hand he most used were beginning to be lost to him, just like his birth family. This feeling of parental, of family love... It was so foreign to Law. These tears that were wept because of one child’s safe return, the embrace that spoke of unconditional love, that expression of sheer relief. All of it brought unpleasant memories. All of it reminds Law of something he long ago lost. But there wasn’t much he could do, other than to stand in stoic silence as the father and child embraced and cried, relieved for each other. 

Law almost felt rude to interrupt it, but several minutes like this had passed, and Law needed to get away, and the only way to do that was to relieve the two responsibilities he had gathered at the beginning of the night. With a soft cough, Law made his presence known to the man, who still held his child whispering sweet nothings in the boy's ears as he wept, his cries softening as the man did so. 

With tears in his eyes, the man looked in Law’s direction, his eyes widening slightly as if finally registering his presence before smiling widely with a kind grin. 

Oh. 

_ Oh.  _

_ This man looked like Corazon.  _

Something tightened in Law’s chest, making the pirate’s breath catch in his lungs. A lump had formed in his throat, causing him to swallow roughly as Law looked at the man’s smile and remembered. That wide grin, those dimples just around the edges of the man’s lips, that full mouth and peaking gums. For a second, gone of the mustache, gone was the strange hair style, gone where those pale blue eyes. All that stood in their place were red lips, hazel eyes, and a warm smile which whispered the words _ I love you _ over and over again as if haunting Law’s very being. Law almost didn’t catch the man beginning to speak. 

“Thank you! Thank you so much, my boys, my boys are safe, you brought them home!-“ the man looked as if he wanted to hug Law as he spoke accented common, causing the doctor to flinch hard at that sentiment. Law’s face turned cold, closing off from the adult in front of him and making it clear without words that he wasn’t to be touched. Truthfully, Law wasn’t sure how he’d handle being touched by a man who smiled like  _ that _ . “Thank you... so,  _ so much _ .”

All Law could do was nod at the genuine feeling exuding from the man. Swallowing thickly, Law tried to focus on the situation at hand. The older boy's weight on his back became very apparent then. 

“It’s... fine.” It was not fine, but Law wanted this over with. “I found them both injured, the oldest more so than the younger, and I treated them both. While your youngest doesn’t have any lasting injuries, the older boy will need plenty of rest and to have his stitches removed in two to three weeks once his injuries are healed”, Law gave a pointed look at the man, before continuing, “I’d recommend getting a professional to do that.”

There was little else to say. The man looked like he wanted to say more, to thank Law again, however unnecessary Law thought it was, so Law turned around and nudged the unconscious boy on his back in the direction of the boy's father. “Please, take him.” 

The man all but scrambled for his child, tears still leaking from his eyes. Soft thank you’s we’re still spoken, but they weren’t expressed so severely, which suited Law just fine. The boy was off his back and in the hands of a caretaker, the other was safely clutching his fathers legs, and Law could finally go back to his suite —  _ alone _ . These two were officially not his responsibility anymore. He was not needed here. 

A feeling of guilt and heaviness sunk into his chest as he turned on his heels, properly grasping his sword for the first time since he had begun the freak to the two boys home. 

“ _ Wait! _ ”

Law paused mid-step, already heading down the hill in the middle of the night, guided only by the moon. Turning slightly back, Law saw the youngest boy a few steps ahead of his father, his small fists balled to his sides with a grim look in his face. Why had he called out to him? Why had the boy, who had been so cautious and scared of Law, who had only barely gotten accustomed to the man with a gruff outlook, call out to him with such loud desperation? Law waited, making sure to look the boy in, what he thought, was his eyes. 

“ _ Thank you, mister! _ ” The boy paused, as if gathering his courage for something imparting. “ _ You didn’t have to save us, but you did! So thank you, for helping my brother! _ ”

It was heartwarming, in a way. Law could almost see why his ally had saved so many children, the earnest gratitude was fulfilling in a way that most work wasn’t. With a ghost of a smile, Law nodded his head in the boy's direction, giving him his only inclination that he heard him. A job well-done, two kids back home, both safe and healing with enough food for a few days. A responsibility that was fulfilled, and a mission completed. A moment which spoke to Law, letting him know that despite all those near breakdowns, those moments of psychosis and imagining, those moments of seeing something which wasn’t there, was worth it because those children were safe and  _ he _ was the one who did that. 

A moment like this was practically begging to be ruined. 

The man, who had just moments ago been standing behind his son while holding his other boy close in his arms, walked to join his youngest just in front of their door. With as low a bow as the man could go without disturbing his injured child, the adult inclined to Law, a show of respect given only to those who have done you a great service, reserved for those of power. 

“Thank you once again for what you have done tonight”, the man began, shifting to hold his oldest in one arm while placing a hand on the shoulder of the youngest who stood next to him, “without you, I’m not sure what I would have done... what we would have done, as a family. So, from the bottom of my heart...  _ thank you _ .” The man gave Law such an earnest look it hurt. 

It made him uneasy. Well-intentioned men always messed things up for Law. 

“Can you tell us your name?” 

_ He knew it.  _

Law wasn’t sure why giving out anything to these people — to those boys — filled him with such apprehension through the night. He had been extremely careful during his stay to remain as relatively unknown as possible. His general appearance and name were known amongst the townsfolk, but he was no pub regular or active member of the community. Those who knew his face and name were small and unimportant, no one impactful in his long run plans. He was generally careful, cautious, about giving away that piece of himself. He needed anonymity to get him through his entire ordeal, to let him reach his own goal. Without it, Law was without purpose or reason, he had nothing left other than vast uncertainty, and Law was not a man who did too well with uncertainty. It stressed him, making him nervous and reckless, putting him on edge and making his first impulse to flee, to preserve, rear itself up to run. 

But it had been a long night, a long and stressful night, and before Law could even stop himself by holding onto the fear that had gripped him since he had first seen those sunglasses on that boy, the words “Trafalgar Law” left his lips with little preamble. It was only moments after, when his quick, unconscious reply had processed had Law realized he had messed up. 

He had  _ messed up _ . 

The man, oblivious to Law’s internal struggle brought on by his question and the received answer, smiled softly at the doctor. It didn’t ease anything within Law. Instead, it made his internal struggle worse. 

_ Dread, anxiousness, trepidation, his earlier shameful cowardice at asking for a boy name while refusing to give his own, waiting for his feeling to be correct, to see Doflamingo standing in the place of an injured boy, to see his hands wrapped around a child’s neck because of some goddamned sunglasses- _

“Thank you, Mister Trafalgar.” 

_ Anxiety, worry, fear, seeing Corazon’s smile reflected back in the father and the son, seeing the boys clumsiness and remembering those words, knowing something isn’t right but not being able to piece it together, the refusal to acknowledge what’s right there in front of him- _

““If you are ever in need of anything”, _ it was coming, that feeling permeating his chest expanded, drawing out of him as it caused his breath to quicken minutely _ , “our family is in your debt”.

Law didn’t want to hear their names, he was terrified of being right, he wanted to be able to deny it, to deny his impact, to deny the possibilities-

  
“My name is Donquixote Homing... Thank you for saving my sons Doflamingo and Rocinante. We are truly...  _ truly _ in your debt”. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest so far, something I'm rather proud of considering its over 10k! 
> 
> Some things to consider - a lot of people think Law would immediately recognize Rocinante or Doflamingo, but I disagree. Law last saw Corazon over ten years ago, and their time together was spent with Law getting sicker and sicker with Amber Lead. Corazon is more of a warm idea than a tangible person to Law, with characteristics he remembers despite how much time has past. He wouldn't recognized a scrappy six year old wit hair that covered his eyes when all he could remember is a near ten foot tall man with bizarre makeup and a presence that was larger than life. The same logic applies to Doflamingo, but unlike Corazon, Law recently had seen Doflamingo in Dressrosa. But on the opposite spectrum, Doflamingo is a monster who kept everyone at arms length, who shot Law and tore off his arm, who killed Corazon. Little Doflamingo, the eight year old, looks enough like the man to send Law into a panic, especially when wearing what Law remembers to be one of his most prominent features, but Little Doffy is still just a kid. He isn't that large presence, he isn't that monster. He's an unconscious and injured kid - someone no one would associate with their tormentor without making huge leaps in logic. 
> 
> Law doesn't want to think the children are who they are, so he rationalizes all the actions which remind him of them and disregards the similarities, because he doesn't want it to be true. There is a lot of power in wanting. 
> 
> Feel free to comment any corrections, errors, and questions!


End file.
